Write a novel treatment that is an alternate retelling of the grim heroin addict movie Trainspotting,where Renton, Tommy, Spud, and Sick Boy, are now given a new character, Mary Poppins. She flies in on her umbrella and lands in this group, rather than the Banks family. You are writing a treatment for a miniseries on Netflix.
Treatment for Netflix Miniseries: "Trainspotting with Mary Poppins"
Logline:
In this surreal reimagining of Trainspotting, Mary Poppins descends—umbrella in hand—into the grungy underworld of 1990s Edinburgh, inserting herself into the lives of Renton, Spud, Sick Boy, and Tommy. The magical nanny’s mission to help these lost souls defies her usual playbook, as she tries to instill life lessons through spoonfuls of tough love, absurd musical interludes, and moral ambiguity, all while navigating heroin addiction, betrayal, and fragile redemption.
Tone and Style
A blend of Trainspotting’s raw, kinetic energy and Mary Poppins’s whimsical charm, the miniseries oscillates between the grit of heroin withdrawal and the surreal, dreamlike magic of Mary’s presence. Think Being John Malkovich meets Penny Dreadful—a story that is both darkly funny and unexpectedly tender.
Main Characters
- Renton (Ewan McGregor): A cynical addict trying to claw his way out of Edinburgh’s drug scene. When Mary Poppins arrives, he’s deeply suspicious of her intentions but finds himself reluctantly drawn to the strange magic she brings into their chaotic lives.
- Sick Boy (Jonny Lee Miller): A self-absorbed schemer who immediately becomes fascinated by Mary’s powers and starts trying to manipulate her, convinced he can use her magic for his own gain.
- Spud (Ewen Bremner): A gentle but hapless addict, utterly enchanted by Mary. She becomes a source of strange comfort to him, though she insists he must learn to stand on his own two feet.
- Tommy (Kevin McKidd): The only one not initially addicted to heroin, but he’s slipping into despair after losing his girlfriend. Mary Poppins tries to save Tommy, but in doing so, she discovers that even her magic has limits.
- Mary Poppins (Tilda Swinton): A cryptic, morally ambiguous version of the character who doesn't sugarcoat her advice or interventions. She challenges the group, forcing them to confront their demons—whether they want to or not.
Plot Overview
Episode 1: "A Spoonful of Smack"
Renton narrates his bleak existence, providing a grim tour of Edinburgh’s drug culture. Out of nowhere, Mary Poppins drops from the sky, landing unceremoniously in their midst as they shoot up in a squalid flat. She announces with no further explanation: “I’m here to help.” Sick Boy is skeptical, Renton is suspicious, and Spud thinks he’s hallucinating. Mary’s presence is surreal—she pulls absurd objects out of her bottomless carpet bag, including clean needles and strangely upbeat records. They agree to let her stay, intrigued by her oddness and promises of change, though none of them quite believe she can actually help.
Episode 2: "Feed the Junkie"
Mary Poppins starts implementing bizarre, magical interventions. She drags the gang into oddball musical routines where they float through hallucinations of giant talking heroin spoons and dancing drug dealers. In a moment of grim humor, she teaches Renton to “chase his dreams, not the dragon,” through an elaborate musical number performed in the middle of a methadone clinic. Tommy, meanwhile, is pulled into Mary’s crosshairs as she senses his spiraling mental health—his sadness begins to manifest in dream sequences with animated animals trying (and failing) to cheer him up.
Episode 3: "Supercalifragilisticexpialidopium"
Renton attempts to get clean again, only to relapse. Sick Boy attempts to charm Mary, hoping she’ll give him access to whatever magic she’s hiding. Mary leads them through surreal episodes that blend drug-fueled visions with life lessons: dancing graffiti, train station platforms that transform into surreal stages, and bizarre metaphors about personal accountability. But these moments are fleeting, and the group’s destructive behavior persists.
In a brutal twist, Renton’s attempt to leave Edinburgh with Mary ends in failure when he wakes up alone on a filthy mattress, realizing she never promised to stay. Tommy’s mental health continues to deteriorate despite her efforts—sometimes, even magic can’t save those unwilling to help themselves.
Episode 4: "Let's Go Fly a Kite"
Spud, high out of his mind, insists that Mary Poppins has shown him the way to salvation. The gang follows him to Arthur’s Seat, where Mary convinces them to fly kites as a symbolic gesture of release from their addictions. For a moment, everything seems beautiful: Renton and Spud laugh, Sick Boy contemplates change, and Tommy smiles for the first time in months. The kites soar over the city, seemingly erasing the past with each gust of wind.
But the moment is fleeting. Back in the flat, reality crashes down—Tommy has overdosed, and Mary can’t bring him back. The others are forced to confront the harsh truth: Mary’s magic is not a cure. They have to make the choice themselves—whether to live or disappear into oblivion.
Episode 5: "Practically Perfect in Every Way"
Mary Poppins departs as suddenly as she arrived. Renton is left wondering if she was ever real or just an elaborate hallucination. In a surreal final scene, Renton imagines Mary flying off into the sky, waving her umbrella one last time. As he watches her disappear, he realizes the truth: Even the most magical nanny can’t save you if you won’t save yourself.
Renton seizes a suitcase of stolen money from Sick Boy and leaves Edinburgh, hoping to start anew. Whether or not he succeeds is left deliberately ambiguous—the only thing certain is that change, if it comes at all, won’t be easy.
Themes
- Redemption and Self-Destruction: Mary Poppins’s arrival forces the characters to face their own potential for change, but ultimately, the choice is theirs to make.
- The Limits of Magic: While Mary’s interventions are whimsical and surreal, they cannot erase trauma, addiction, or the harsh realities of life.
- Friendship and Betrayal: The characters’ relationships are tested as they attempt to navigate change, culminating in acts of betrayal and unexpected moments of tenderness.
- Hope and Ambiguity: The series ends with a sense of ambiguity—whether or not the characters succeed in overcoming their demons is left unresolved, emphasizing the complexity of human nature.
Visual Style
The visual style will alternate between Trainspotting’s hyper-realistic, grungy aesthetic and Mary Poppins’s bright, surreal sequences, creating jarring tonal shifts. Musical numbers will blend the ordinary with the fantastical—imagine a grimy bathroom transformed into a kaleidoscopic wonderland during withdrawal-induced hallucinations.
Target Audience
The miniseries appeals to fans of Trainspotting and surreal, offbeat storytelling, as well as those who enjoy genre mash-ups like Legion or The Umbrella Academy. With its mix of dark humor, emotional depth, and fantastical elements, it offers something fresh and unexpected for Netflix’s audience.
"Trainspotting with Mary Poppins" explores whether kindness and magic can truly change people—or if, in the end, everyone has to learn to save themselves.
