Get ready to have your fond memories of Mary Poppins absolutely destroyed.
A new fan theory posted to Reddit by user HumanoidMold5 has tied together the dreamy world of Mary Poppins and the nightmarish hell of Stephen King's IT through the Monsters Inc. universe rules.
Yep, you read that right. A fair warning, there are spoilers ahead for both Mary Poppins Returns, IT, and It: Chapter Two.
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We should point out that there is no way this is true, but the idea of it is both terrifying and fabulous. Here's the gist: Mary and Pennywise are members of the same species. In particular, the Redditor looks to Mary Poppins Returns to substantiate the theory.
Both Mary Poppins and Pennywise have the same power: to use what lurks in children's minds either for good or evil. Mary Poppins taps into their imagination, while Pennywise manipulates their fear. They also have similar skill sets. Bear with us.
In both movies, each lures children to them by captivating the attention of a young boy named Georgie. Obviously, Mary Poppins Returns' Georgie fares better than Billy's young brother in IT.
Watch Now Mary Poppins Returns
Mary Poppins returns to 17 Cherry Tree Lane after 25 years, while Pennywise returns to Derry every 27 years. The Redditor writes: "Mary Poppins manages to maintain energy for 25 years despite interacting with fewer children than Pennywise requires for 27 years as she relies on children's joy, unlike Pennywise who relies on their fear, and as proven in Monsters Inc, children's laughter is worth more than their fear."
In both cases, those impacted by their supernatural guests ultimately forget – or misremember – their time with Mary or Pennywise. The Banks children remember her only as a nanny without any magical powers. The Losers Club forget their childhoods almost altogether.
Both characters have a penchant for song and dance. After all, Pennywise calls himself the dancing clown, and uses his moves (lol) to terrify the children. Because she's nice, Mary Poppins enchants the Banks children with technicolour, dream-like musicals.
In addition, both Mary Poppins and Pennywise have reflections that can animate and operate separately from themselves.
Watch Now IT (2017)
Pennywise has something called 'the deadlights' which, when looked into will essentially render their subject frozen. Pennywise uses it on Beverly in the first IT movie.
Mary Poppins has no such thing. However, in Mary Poppins Returns, she does create an entire fleet of lamplighters in 'Trip a Little Light Fantastic'. The lamplighters are proven to be a creation when Michael (played by Ben Whishaw) looks out the window and sees only Mary and the children.
Another icon of the IT movies are the red balloons that precede Pennywise's return. In the final moments of Mary Poppins Returns, the characters all grab balloons and float magically into the air.
The parallels are eerily similar, and the theory is compelling. The characters are inherently two sides of the same coin.
Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately if you're a huge Mary Poppins fan), it's highly unlikely Disney would let a character as respectable as Mary Poppins fraternise with the likes of Pennywise. He doesn't play well with others.
It Chapter 2 is out now. Mary Poppins Returns is available for purchase on DVD, Blu-ray and streaming now.
Funko Pop! IT Pennywise with Wrought Iron EXC Pop! Vinyl Figure
![IT [Blu-ray + Digital Download] [2017]](https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1556013933-41Fxsed0r2BL.jpg?crop=1xw:1xh;center,top&resize=980:* "IT [Blu-ray + Digital Download] [2017]")
![Stephen King's It [Blu-ray] [2016] [Region Free]](https://hips.hearstapps.com/vader-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/1556014029-51jUPsnHs8L.jpg?crop=1xw:1xh;center,top&resize=980:* "Stephen King's It [Blu-ray] [2016] [Region Free]")
Funko Pop! IT Pennywise (Classic Black & White) EXC Pop! Vinyl Figure
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Gabriella Geisinger is a freelance film critic and journalist, with a focus on J-drama & film, and the Japanese production industry. She was previously Locations Editor at Screen International and Deputy Movies Editor at Digital Spy. Her writing can also befound in Curzon, 1883, and more. A born and raised New Yorker, she loves coffee and the colour black, obviously.
