It is D23 time, Disney fans! The Disney-centric event that only comes around once every two years is here. There are a ton of movies and other projects for Disney to showcase at the event in 2017, but outside of the Marvel Studios and Star Wars franchises, there is the highly-anticipated Mary Poppins Returns. Disney knows how excited fans are for this one and that's why they brought a big showing for it to the expo and even debuted some footage. We've got an exclusive look at the panel just for you.

To the delight of D23 fans, Emily Blunt, the star of Disney's sequel Mary Poppins Returns, took to the stage with director/producer Rob Marshall to talk about the eagerly-anticipated return of the practically-perfect nanny. In this original musical sequel to the 1964 Mary Poppins, Mary and her friend Jack, an optimistic street lamplighter played by Lin-Manuel Miranda, embark on entirely new adventures with the next generation of the Banks family to help them find the joy and wonder missing in their lives. Here's some of what Emily Blunt had to say during the panel.

"I needed to try to pay homage to Julie Andrews, but carve out a new space for myself. And we were very loyal to the books."

P.L. Travers first introduced the world to the no-nonsense nanny in her 1934 children's book Mary Poppins. However, the subsequent adventures of Mary Poppins remained only on the pages of the seven other P.L. Travers' books. Until now. Mary Poppins Returns is drawn from the wealth of material in these additional books. The movie also stars Ben Whishaw as Michael Banks, Emily Mortimer as Jane Banks, Julie Walters as the Banks' housekeeper Ellen, with Colin Firth as Fidelity Fiduciary's William Weatherall Wilkins and Meryl Streep as Mary's eccentric cousin Topsy. Angela Lansbury appears as the Balloon Lady and Dick Van Dyke as Mr. Dawes Jr., the retired chairman of the bank now run by Colin Firth's character. Here is what director Rob Marshall had to say during the panel.

"I was incredibly honored to be approached by Disney about directing a sequel. This is a brand-new original film musical from top to bottom, which is very rare, and it is a wonderful opportunity to create something specifically for the screen."

D23 has been part of the tradition for Disney since 2009. The bi-annual expo, which has celebrated all of their many fans, serves as a great way for the Mouse House to showcase all of the many films and franchises they have under their roof. This year, there is a whole lot to look forward to, but somehow, Mary Poppins Returns cut through all of the big franchise noise and became one of the most buzzed about movies.

Mary Poppins Returns is set to arrive in theaters on December 25, 2018. So it may be a while before Disney releases the actual footage they played at D23 to the public. But don't worry! You can check out our footage with Rob Marshall and Emily Blunt from the panel for yourself below. Be sure to check back for all of our other D23 coverage throughout the weekend.