Emily Blunt to play Mary Poppins

Emily Blunt says the biggest challenge to playing Mary Poppins was how to make her own version for a new generation.

While she says she managed to accomplish that goal in "Mary Poppins Returns," Blunt still gets a tad uneasy when mentioned as this generation's Julie Andrews.

"When people speak to me about it in those very grand, slightly overwhelming terms it is still a very challenging thing for me to absorb that idea. I'm incredibly proud to be her, now, for this generation. I'm so fortunate, because she's so iconic and still such a delight to play and to be".

Colin Firth and Emily Blunt at the premiere of "Mary Poppins Returns" on Wednesday, December, 12, 2018 in London. [Photo: AP]

After taking on the project nearly four years ago, Blunt explained her approach to the character.

"How do I carve out new space? How do I make my own version of her? What is my own version? And the great thing was that I was brought into the fold very early on, you know, in 2015. We didn't start shooting till 2017, and so I had many, many months to allow her to sort of permeate and sort of try to build this crazy nanny, you know, who's such a superhuman with great humanity, and so what's my - what will she be like to me".

"Mary Poppins Returns" lands in theaters on December 19.