Emily Blunt says playing Mary Poppins is a gift for her kids

Los Angeles - Emily Blunt's ''gift'' to her children was starring in 'Mary Poppins Returns'.

The 33-year-old actress - who has daughters Hazel, two, and three-month-old Violet with her actor husband John Krasinski - has admitted being cast as the lead role in the highly-anticipated movie and being ''this generation's Mary Poppins'' is ''a dream'' come true for both her and her children. 

Speaking to E! News about the role, the Girl on the Train star said: ''It is my dream.

''I mean, she's such an iconic nostalgic figure for people. So it's a gift to give to my kids that I get to be this generation's Mary Poppins.'' 

And Emily has revealed she is already practicing for the role, although rehearsals for the movie is set to start next month.

She said: ''I'm learning the songs.'' 

Although the brunette beauty is glad to star in the upcoming remake of the original film, which starred Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, she is also ''scared''. 

She explained: ''We did an incredible workshop of the script a few weeks back. It's so heart racing, so exciting. It's a complete different re-imagining of the whole thing. And I'm scared and thrilled to be in it and it's cool.''

Emily is set to star alongside Mama Mia! actress Meryl Streep, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ben Whishaw and Emily Mortimer. 

And it is rumoured the lead character Julie and Dick are allegedly set to make a cameo in the new adaptation. 

Meanwhile, Emily has revealed she is forced to sign up to child-friendly roles so her family can watch them, although she would have leapt at the chance of playing the famous Nanny even if she wasn't a mother. 

Speaking previously, she said: ''My girls can't see (The Girl on the Train) , can they? So I have to do a couple they can see. When I, hopefully, proved I'm not an unfit mother.

''I would have done Mary Poppins whether I had children or not, but the fact that I have girls makes it such a gift.''

Disney have scheduled Mary Poppins Returns, which will be directed by Rob Marshall who produced the movie 25 years ago, to hit the big screens on Christmas Day 2018.