9 Movies That Succeeded By Ignoring The Source Material

Critically acclaimed and widely beloved by countless audiences, 1964's Mary Poppins needs no introduction, but the story behind its adaptation and production is an extended one.

The original book series was written by P.L Travers from 1934 through to 1988 and initially the author was far from enthused when it came to a film adaptation. The stories came to the attention of Walt Disney, whose children loved the books and made him promise to make a movie about them.

The original stories portrayed the titular nanny as cold and unsympathetic, an exterior that hid her more wondrous aspects underneath. In keeping with its family-friendly focus, Disney was able to forgo the colder nature of the character in favour of Julie Andrew's delightful performance, which was in opposition to the character's more stern and strict characterisation. On top of this, the film would comprise a range of storylines from the books to further deepen her character.

It was far more appealing to audiences all over the world and the film proved to be Disney's first smash hit in live action. With five academy awards under its belt, it's hard not to see why the film is arguably more memorable than the books that inspired it.