JumpCutz

Saving Mr. Banks has begun principal photography in the Los Angeles area, with “key locations” around Disneyland in Anaheim and Disney Studio in Burbank due to make an appearance in the film. Tom Hanks will become the first person to portray old Walt on the big screen in a dramatic feature (according to the press release, that is), while fellow dual-Oscar winner Emma Thompson is tackling the role of the very regal Ms. Travers.

I loathe Tom Hanks, but here you go.....

http://screenrant.com/disney-saving-...-mary-poppins/

DonnachaOne

This time the mission is a man.

FRwL

Earn this animation studio.

DonnachaOne

Tell me I'm a good animator.

FRwL

Disnar

Supermallet

Wow, Tom Hanks will certainly be playing against type as a racist tyrant with an obsessive fear of death. Can't wait for the cryogenic freezing sequence!

auto

Remember when every Tom Hanks pic seemed like an event?

rw2516

I remember some movie from the 80s/90s that has a scene with someone playing Disney.

Jay G.

IMDB lists a few TV movies from the 90s, which may be why the press release specifies theatrical feature:
http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0034399/

It looks like the 1944 film Once Upon a Time may have beaten them to the punch for theatrical film, but that was a comedy, which may be why the press release also specifies drama.

Mabuse

Terrible choice of title considering the SPR connection. This sounds like a bio pic of PL Travers the author of Mary Poppins rather than any kind of attempt at a Disney bio pic.

inri222

I highly doubt they will cover that angle.

TheKing

Yeah, I couldn't wait for Joe Vs. The Volcano.

dom56

obscurelabel

Len Cariou was well cast as Disney in the TV movie A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes: The Annette Funicello Story. As I remember, the characterization didn't go much beyond being avuncular, but Cariou looked and sounded right.

davidh777

Saw this and really enjoyed it. Great cast, intriguing story. Surefire nomination for Emma Thompson, and probably more as Oscar loves celebrating old-school Hollywood. It made me want to see Mary Poppins again (not my favorite Disney as I think mid-'60s musicals in general can get bloated and overlong, like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang), and hey, it's being released on BD Tuesday! I'm OK with my non-special-edition DVD... though I admit I'm intrigued by bonus features that might deal more with this story.

nando820

proof for this outrageous accusation!

Jay G.

You do know Chitty Chitty Bang Bang isn't a Disney movie, right? It was distributed by United Artists.

davidh777

Yes, I'm aware. I meant '60s movies in general. I'll clarify.

Charlie Goose

Looks like a feel-good bio pic with Disney winning over Travers for the rights to Mary Poppins.

Meanwhile, Travers ended up hating the movie version, and when she complained to Disney and demanded it be changed, he pretty much told her to get lost.

davidh777

During production or after it was finished? If the latter, I can see his point. In the movie,

Ash Ketchum

One of the songwriters for MARY POPPINS, Richard M. Sherman, is still alive and was interviewed about working with Travers for this New York Times piece (in tomorrow's Arts & Leisure section):

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/08/mo...ns-author.html

Apparently, it wasn't a pleasant experience for either of them.

davidh777

Yeah, I think they gave him some kind of consulting credit in the movie. His brother died a year and a half ago though I guess his autobiography just came out.

I also noticed in the credits that Jason Schwartzman played his own piano, but I now see that he's a composer and has drummed in a band. Nice side note to that casting.

Supermallet

So, Oscar bait?

Crocker Jarmen

Heh, I thought you meant Saving Mr. Banks was being released Tuesday on BD, not Mary Poppins, so I was thinking all day, "Wow, Tom Hanks is going direct to video. This movie must be a failure."

Charlie Goose

Maybe a little too light for Oscar bait, but I can see Emma Thompson sneaking in with a nomination.