On September 19, Disney began production on “Saving Mr. Banks.” Academy Award®-winner Tom Hanks will play the role of the legendary Disney . Oscar®-winner Emma Thompson will play the role of the prickly novelist of Mary Poppins, P.L. Travers. Disney had a 20 year pursuit to acquire the rights to this book (a promise he made to his two daughters). Before actually signing away the book’s rights, Travers’ demanded contractual script and character control circumvent (which was not in Disney’s plan).
In 1961, Travers traveled from London to Hollywood to finally discuss Disney’s desire to bring her beloved character to the motion picture screen. During the trip a lot about the author’s childhood with her father unfolds as she realizes that Disney has his own motives for wanting to make this film such as the relationship he shared with his own father in the early 20th Century Midwest.
Saving Mr. Banks will be directed by John Lee Hancock. It also stars Colin Farrell (as Travers’ doting dad, Goff), Ruth Wilson (as his long-suffering wife, Margaret), Rachel Griffiths (as Margaret’s sister, Aunt Ellie, who inspired the title character of Travers’ novel) and a an 11 year old Aussie native, Annie Buckley (as the young, blossoming writer, nicknamed “Ginty” in the flashback sequences).
The cast also includes Emmy® winner Bradley Whitford, Jason Schwartzman, B.J. Novak, Paul Giamatti, Kathy Baker. This movie is based on a screenplay by Kelly Marcel, from a story by Sue Smith and Kelly Marcel. The film is being produced by Alison Owen of Ruby Films, Ian Collie of Essential Media and longtime Hancock collaborator Philip Steuer. The film’s executive producers are Ruby Films’ Paul Trijbits, Hopscotch Features’ Andrew Mason and Troy Lum and BBC Films’ Christine Langan.
Saving Mr. Banks” will film entirely in the Los Angeles area, with key locations to include Disneyland in Anaheim and the Disney Studios in Burbank. Filming will conclude around Thanksgiving, 2012, with no specific 2013 release date yet set.
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