A familiar umbrella may open onto a stranger version of a classic story, while Ari Aster’s next film adds more faces to an intentionally guarded project. This 28 September Morning briefing catches two worthwhile reports from Friday 25 September that earlier Movieversalfilm editions had not covered. Both are at an early stage, so the confirmed viewing details are still limited.
Film and TV Developments to Know
Mary Poppins Books Inspire a Television Project
- First reported: Friday 25 September by Deadline.
- Source material: P. L. Travers’ Mary Poppins books, rather than a remake of Disney’s 1964 film.
- Development: Tom Winchester is developing the live-action project through Pure Fiction Television.
- Cast, broadcaster and UK/US premiere: None confirmed.
Deadline reported on Friday that producer Tom Winchester is developing a live-action Mary Poppins series from P. L. Travers’ books. The plan is to explore more of the books’ unusual world instead of simply remaking the Julie Andrews film. That distinction could give the character room to be more mysterious than many screen viewers expect, though the finished tone cannot be judged while the project is still being pitched.
The practical answer for families is “watch this space”. Deadline says Winchester is approaching showrunners; Disney’s participation has not been agreed. There is no announced writer, cast, broadcaster, UK or US platform, or premiere date. This is a development story, not a series order or a viewing recommendation yet.
Scapegoat Adds Ella Purnell, Caleb Landry Jones and Samba Schutte
- First reported: Friday 25 September by Deadline.
- Newly reported cast: Ella Purnell, Caleb Landry Jones and Samba Schutte.
- Film: Ari Aster writes and directs for A24; Lars Knudsen produces through Square Peg.
- Roles, story and UK/US release: Not announced.
Ari Aster’s next film, Scapegoat, has added Ella Purnell, Caleb Landry Jones and Samba Schutte, according to Deadline’s Friday casting report. Aster is writing and directing the A24 production, with regular collaborator Lars Knudsen producing. The three additions give the project a larger ensemble, while telling us little about the film itself.
That restraint matters. Character names and an official plot description have not been announced, so circulating theories about the story are no basis for a preview. There is also no confirmed UK or US release date. For now, the cast is the news; the cinema plan remains open.
Movieversalfilm Takeaway
Both Friday reports are early-stage developments, but they point in different directions: a book-led Mary Poppins television project and a growing cast for Ari Aster’s Scapegoat. Neither has a confirmed UK or US viewing date. The useful thing now is to know what has actually been reported without treating a pitch or an undisclosed role as a finished screen experience.
Which project would you most like to learn more about: a book-led Mary Poppins series or Ari Aster’s Scapegoat?