Behind-the-Scenes Footage of the ‘Mary Poppins Returns’ Bathtub Scene Is Blowing People’s Minds

Just when you thought Mary Poppins couldn’t get any more magical, Disney blows your mind once again.

Even if you haven’t seen the recently-released Mary Poppins Returns, chances are you’re familiar with a scene that shows Emily Blunt as the titular character herself sliding backwards and disappearing into a bathtub brimming full of bubbles. While many fans assumed the trick to be made with CGI or some other type of special effect, Blunt revealed that the clever stunt actually involved a hole in the bathtub that led to a full-on slide.

As it turns out, the bubbles were all actually there, and Blunt herself “really did” do the stunt.

“We built practical sets that we could very much interact with and be a part of,” Blunt explained at a question and answer panel for the movie. “So what they did with this bath was — which the kids thought was the best thing ever — was that they actually carved the hole in the bottom of the bath and had a slide that went under the stage.”

She further explained that it was a steep drop, making it a bit scary for a grown adult to tuck themselves into

“But it was a drop, I’m gonna tell you. It was fast and steep. And then they filled up the bath with bubbles. They must have done it like 20 times. The kids were like, ‘Let me do it again!’” she said, to laughter from the crowd, adding that two times were enough for her. “I think I did it twice.”

Video footage of the low-fi trick shows Blunt falling backward into a bathtub full of bubbles and promptly sliding all the way down a hidden trapdoor in the tub, emerging down a slide and onto a crash pad in the setup below. In the film, of course, the bathtub is a portal to an underwater fantasy land, complete with computer-generated animated tricks.

Blunt, who was nominated for Best Actress by several awards organizations for her role, was joined by Meryl Streep, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Colin Firth, Julie Walters and Ben Whishaw in the latest of Disney remakes.

However, given the A-list cast, Forbes reported that Mary Poppins Returns made a disappointing box office debut, grossing just $50 million in its week-long opening stretch. To put that in perspective, Disney spent $130 million on its production budget for the film.

While many have labeled the movie as wonderful, with The Telegraph‘s Robbie Collin calling it “practically perfect in every way,” others critiqued it as a “pale imitation” of the original Julie Andrews-led classic.

Photo credit: Walt Disney Pictures