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Showing posts with label Saving Mr. Banks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Saving Mr. Banks. Show all posts
Monday, February 24, 2014
Saving Mr. Banks Review
Caught "Saving Mr. Banks" courtesy of Ayala Malls and I must say it was worth my time.
This movie follows the events that transpired in the initial development of the live-action Mary Poppins movie produced by Disney (the one starring Julie Andrews) featuring Academy Award winner Tom Hanks as Walt Disney and Emma Thompson as Mary Poppins creator P.L. Travers.
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Emma Thompson Plays Author of "Mary Poppins" in Saving Mr. Banks
Two-time Oscar® winner Emma Thompson (“Howards End,” “Sense and Sensibility”) is the filmmakers' first choice to play “Mary Poppins” author P.L. Travers in Walt Disney Pictures' inspirational drama, “Saving Mr. Banks.”
Also starring fellow double Oscar® winner Tom Hanks and acclaimed actor Colin Farrell, “Saving Mr. Banks” is inspired by the extraordinary, untold back story of how Disney’s classic “Mary Poppins” made it to the screen.
“When you’ve got somebody like Emma Thompson, she has a very large toolbox,” director John Lee Hancock proclaims about his leading lady and her abilities to tackle such a challenging role. “Anytime you’re taking on a character that is that complicated and that sad, there’s a weight that goes along with it. Emma confided in me that it was tough to wake up and play P.L. Travers every day. And it would be great when we were done so she would have hopefully done P.L. proud. She is so incredibly talented.”
Thompson says of the curmudgeonly P.L. Travers, “She was a wonderful case study, requiring so many different shades. She’s one of the most complicated people I’ve ever encountered.”
She adds, “I’ve never played anyone more full of contradictions, which makes it fascinating because she oscillates all the time. Her early life interfered so radically and so successfully with her capacity to have relationships and particularly with her relationships with men. Her father had been so emotionally unstable and unreliable that for her, love was always a very tricky thing. There was a brokenness and an emptiness and a sadness in her.”
Describing Travers at the point of her entry into the story for “Saving Mr. Banks” when she gets to Los Angeles, Thompson says, “She hated the script for `Mary Poppins.' Actually, she appeared to hate everything, but whether she actually did or not is another matter. What she was dealing with were her own issues, which were deep and complex. Her relationship with Mary Poppins was the same really in a sense as Walt Disney’s with Mickey Mouse. Mary Poppins had saved her in a way from the wounds of her own childhood, in the same way as Mickey Mouse had saved Walt. So, it wasn’t as if she was giving this character up with any degree of ease. She felt as though a part of her very soul was being taken away and turned into something that it really wasn't and she found that psychologically difficult.”
Thompson also points out another facet of the patchwork quilt that was P. L. Travers. “She was a bit of an intellectual snob,” comments Thompson. “I don't think there’s any question about that and indeed she was an extremely original and clever, talented woman. She was unusual in the sense that she had relationships with highly intellectual men at a time when it was not always easy for women to get access to them.”
Although Travers sought out the company of charming men in her lifetime, Thompson notes, “Walt’s charm was probably easier for her to resist. She would not have thought of him as an intellectual.”
“Pamela’s a tough old stick,” producer Collie adds about the film’s main character. “She is, in a sense, not an easy woman to like because she is so controlling and seems to be so humorless. And Emma, of course, portrays all those qualities. But, Emma also brings a certain warmth and just a hint of vulnerability where you want to give Pamela a big hug. That’s the skill of a great actor, to bring that empathy for what is a tough, unsympathetic old character. Emma was perfect casting.”
Thompson has her own take on her character and the story. “It’s about artists,” comments Thompson. “Why they do it and how interesting the relationship between the artist and their childhood is. A lot of children’s authors have had terrible childhoods. What I loved about it was that it was about how early suffering informs what you write, what you make and what you produce as an artist.”
In preparation to take on the persona of P.L. Travers, Thompson listened to tapes of the sessions in Los Angeles between the songwriting team of Richard and Robert Sherman, Walt Disney and Travers, all of which had been saved in the Disney Archives. “The tapes remind me of the myth of Sisyphus because it’s like listening to people push something very, very heavy up a hill and then get to the top and just watch the whole thing roll back down again. It’s really hard work listening to those tapes because P.L. is so awful and so irritating. Just listening to them makes you want to throw something heavy at her.
“But there are lots of little clues about what was really going on as well,” Thompson continues. “She’s often performing and there’s a stuttering quality to the tapes that makes it very difficult to listen to because she’s dealing with letting something out of herself that she just doesn’t really want to communicate. There’s a lot of straight negation and a lot of bullying. Of course, no one could say anything. Don DaGradi and the Sherman brothers were stuck in a room with her for weeks on end and just couldn’t say anything because she had to be handled with kid gloves. So, it was a nightmare for them and the tapes are a nightmare to listen to. But they were very, very useful.”
Tom Hanks enjoyed the experience of working with Emma Thompson and watching her bring forth the very difficult and complex P.L. Travers. “Every time I’ve seen Emma, I say, how does she do that? How does she make it look so easy? With the work that we did, there was always something going on between us. There was always a secret that Pamela had that Disney himself did not see until literally the end. There’s a scene where Walt Disney is saying, ‘Will you please share with me why this isn’t a good experience for you?’ The emotion that Emma had to bring to a woman who was about to break into tears over something she could not communicate shows the quality of an actress who is forever at the absolute top of her game. She is so far removed from the old English biddy who lives in the townhouse in London, yet her finger is on the absolute pulse of all the Englishness that goes on with that.”
Opening across the Philippines on Feb. 26, “Saving Mr. Banks” is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International through Columbia Pictures.
Also starring fellow double Oscar® winner Tom Hanks and acclaimed actor Colin Farrell, “Saving Mr. Banks” is inspired by the extraordinary, untold back story of how Disney’s classic “Mary Poppins” made it to the screen.
“When you’ve got somebody like Emma Thompson, she has a very large toolbox,” director John Lee Hancock proclaims about his leading lady and her abilities to tackle such a challenging role. “Anytime you’re taking on a character that is that complicated and that sad, there’s a weight that goes along with it. Emma confided in me that it was tough to wake up and play P.L. Travers every day. And it would be great when we were done so she would have hopefully done P.L. proud. She is so incredibly talented.”
Thompson says of the curmudgeonly P.L. Travers, “She was a wonderful case study, requiring so many different shades. She’s one of the most complicated people I’ve ever encountered.”
She adds, “I’ve never played anyone more full of contradictions, which makes it fascinating because she oscillates all the time. Her early life interfered so radically and so successfully with her capacity to have relationships and particularly with her relationships with men. Her father had been so emotionally unstable and unreliable that for her, love was always a very tricky thing. There was a brokenness and an emptiness and a sadness in her.”
Describing Travers at the point of her entry into the story for “Saving Mr. Banks” when she gets to Los Angeles, Thompson says, “She hated the script for `Mary Poppins.' Actually, she appeared to hate everything, but whether she actually did or not is another matter. What she was dealing with were her own issues, which were deep and complex. Her relationship with Mary Poppins was the same really in a sense as Walt Disney’s with Mickey Mouse. Mary Poppins had saved her in a way from the wounds of her own childhood, in the same way as Mickey Mouse had saved Walt. So, it wasn’t as if she was giving this character up with any degree of ease. She felt as though a part of her very soul was being taken away and turned into something that it really wasn't and she found that psychologically difficult.”
Thompson also points out another facet of the patchwork quilt that was P. L. Travers. “She was a bit of an intellectual snob,” comments Thompson. “I don't think there’s any question about that and indeed she was an extremely original and clever, talented woman. She was unusual in the sense that she had relationships with highly intellectual men at a time when it was not always easy for women to get access to them.”
Although Travers sought out the company of charming men in her lifetime, Thompson notes, “Walt’s charm was probably easier for her to resist. She would not have thought of him as an intellectual.”
“Pamela’s a tough old stick,” producer Collie adds about the film’s main character. “She is, in a sense, not an easy woman to like because she is so controlling and seems to be so humorless. And Emma, of course, portrays all those qualities. But, Emma also brings a certain warmth and just a hint of vulnerability where you want to give Pamela a big hug. That’s the skill of a great actor, to bring that empathy for what is a tough, unsympathetic old character. Emma was perfect casting.”
Thompson has her own take on her character and the story. “It’s about artists,” comments Thompson. “Why they do it and how interesting the relationship between the artist and their childhood is. A lot of children’s authors have had terrible childhoods. What I loved about it was that it was about how early suffering informs what you write, what you make and what you produce as an artist.”
In preparation to take on the persona of P.L. Travers, Thompson listened to tapes of the sessions in Los Angeles between the songwriting team of Richard and Robert Sherman, Walt Disney and Travers, all of which had been saved in the Disney Archives. “The tapes remind me of the myth of Sisyphus because it’s like listening to people push something very, very heavy up a hill and then get to the top and just watch the whole thing roll back down again. It’s really hard work listening to those tapes because P.L. is so awful and so irritating. Just listening to them makes you want to throw something heavy at her.
“But there are lots of little clues about what was really going on as well,” Thompson continues. “She’s often performing and there’s a stuttering quality to the tapes that makes it very difficult to listen to because she’s dealing with letting something out of herself that she just doesn’t really want to communicate. There’s a lot of straight negation and a lot of bullying. Of course, no one could say anything. Don DaGradi and the Sherman brothers were stuck in a room with her for weeks on end and just couldn’t say anything because she had to be handled with kid gloves. So, it was a nightmare for them and the tapes are a nightmare to listen to. But they were very, very useful.”
Tom Hanks enjoyed the experience of working with Emma Thompson and watching her bring forth the very difficult and complex P.L. Travers. “Every time I’ve seen Emma, I say, how does she do that? How does she make it look so easy? With the work that we did, there was always something going on between us. There was always a secret that Pamela had that Disney himself did not see until literally the end. There’s a scene where Walt Disney is saying, ‘Will you please share with me why this isn’t a good experience for you?’ The emotion that Emma had to bring to a woman who was about to break into tears over something she could not communicate shows the quality of an actress who is forever at the absolute top of her game. She is so far removed from the old English biddy who lives in the townhouse in London, yet her finger is on the absolute pulse of all the Englishness that goes on with that.”
Opening across the Philippines on Feb. 26, “Saving Mr. Banks” is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International through Columbia Pictures.
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Tom Hanks Channels Real Walt Disney in Saving Mr. Banks
Sometimes, it really takes a beloved actor to portray a beloved figure. That's why Tom Hanks makes the perfect actor to play pioneering studio chief and eventual Hollywood legend, Walt Disney, in the inspiring drama, “Saving Mr. Banks.”
Also starring fellow double Oscar® winner Emma Thompson and acclaimed actor Colin Farrell, “Saving Mr. Banks” is inspired by the extraordinary, untold back story of how Disney’s classic “Mary Poppins” made it to the screen.
Tom Hanks says, “‘Saving Mr. Banks’ is about the making of ‘Mary Poppins’, not about the filming of ‘Mary Poppins.’ It’s about the translation of ‘Mary Poppins’ from book to screen. It’s about the creative process, of how P.L. Travers’ character started on paper first before it became the classic movie. I think this is actually a new take on that sort of story idea. What were the secrets behind this great movie that everybody loves? Well, it has a checkered past. It’s not just about somebody who broke their foot while they were shooting the film. It’s about somebody who broke the spirit of the people in the room when they were writing that movie. And, that was Pamela Travers.”
Says director John Lee Hancock, “This film portrays a side of Disney we haven’t seen before. It’s not the Walt we know from ‘The Wonderful World of Disney,’ which was fun to explore. But, someone had to play Walt Disney, become Walt Disney. Who would that be? There was really only one person that all of us could think of—Tom Hanks. I wasn’t trying to put a rubber mask on Tom and make him look exactly like Disney. I wanted Walt Disney to come from inside. Tom is such a fine actor that that’s where he begins his work—from the inside.
“Tom grew his own mustache,” Hancock continues in describing Hanks’ physical “transformation” for the role. “There’s a lot of voice work, the way he walks, the body position, the way he holds his hands, the way he touches his mustache. How he phrases things and lets sentences roll off the end. He simply became Walt Disney to me and I was completely amazed.”
“I don’t look or sound anything like Walt Disney,” Hanks affirms in responding to Hancock’s comments. “In addition to growing a mustache and parting my hair, the job at hand was to somehow capture all that whimsy that is in his eyes as well as all of the acumen that goes along with that. You can’t do an imitation of Walt Disney. There is a cadence to the way he sounds that comes from, I feel, his enthusiasm for what was in his head. He is an institution without a doubt and worthy of the museum that his family built for him up in the Presidio in San Francisco [The Walt Disney Family Museum].
“I went up to the museum and spent an entire day there,” Hanks confirms about part of the research required for his portrayal of the Hollywood legend. “Diane Disney and the staff there were incredibly welcoming and helpful. I heard every single piece of audio and saw every piece of film in the place about Walt’s entire history. He invented an art form that anybody can imitate, but no one can do better. Just helped tremendously.”
Hanks came away from that visit with important insight into Walt Disney’s character. He explains, “Walt was hands-on every step of the way, yet he always used the word 'we.' He never said, 'I had an idea' or 'I did it this way.' I thought that was great. There was an inclusiveness to everything he did. It went from the early cartoons in Kansas City all the way to his theme parks.”
Explaining the essence of Disney that he was trying to capture on screen, Hanks says, “Walt’s head was so full of magnificent ideas that he could not help make everybody else excited about them. And that’s what I was going for. I wanted to convey his pride and joy about the studio and what was coming out of it. There is a tactile connection to every word he says that has to come out of release.”
Emma Thompson looked forward to working with Tom Hanks, as the two of them have always wanted to do a film together. She says, “We have known each other for a long time, so when this was being cast I rang him up and said, ‘This is just so perfect.’
“Tom is fascinated by Disney and knows a lot about him. There’s something faintly similar to the pair of them—their enduring popularity and their sort of everyman quality and a huge kind of a charm,” she concludes.
Opening across the Philippines on Feb. 26, “Saving Mr. Banks” is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International through Columbia Pictures.
Also starring fellow double Oscar® winner Emma Thompson and acclaimed actor Colin Farrell, “Saving Mr. Banks” is inspired by the extraordinary, untold back story of how Disney’s classic “Mary Poppins” made it to the screen.
Tom Hanks says, “‘Saving Mr. Banks’ is about the making of ‘Mary Poppins’, not about the filming of ‘Mary Poppins.’ It’s about the translation of ‘Mary Poppins’ from book to screen. It’s about the creative process, of how P.L. Travers’ character started on paper first before it became the classic movie. I think this is actually a new take on that sort of story idea. What were the secrets behind this great movie that everybody loves? Well, it has a checkered past. It’s not just about somebody who broke their foot while they were shooting the film. It’s about somebody who broke the spirit of the people in the room when they were writing that movie. And, that was Pamela Travers.”
Says director John Lee Hancock, “This film portrays a side of Disney we haven’t seen before. It’s not the Walt we know from ‘The Wonderful World of Disney,’ which was fun to explore. But, someone had to play Walt Disney, become Walt Disney. Who would that be? There was really only one person that all of us could think of—Tom Hanks. I wasn’t trying to put a rubber mask on Tom and make him look exactly like Disney. I wanted Walt Disney to come from inside. Tom is such a fine actor that that’s where he begins his work—from the inside.
“Tom grew his own mustache,” Hancock continues in describing Hanks’ physical “transformation” for the role. “There’s a lot of voice work, the way he walks, the body position, the way he holds his hands, the way he touches his mustache. How he phrases things and lets sentences roll off the end. He simply became Walt Disney to me and I was completely amazed.”
“I don’t look or sound anything like Walt Disney,” Hanks affirms in responding to Hancock’s comments. “In addition to growing a mustache and parting my hair, the job at hand was to somehow capture all that whimsy that is in his eyes as well as all of the acumen that goes along with that. You can’t do an imitation of Walt Disney. There is a cadence to the way he sounds that comes from, I feel, his enthusiasm for what was in his head. He is an institution without a doubt and worthy of the museum that his family built for him up in the Presidio in San Francisco [The Walt Disney Family Museum].
“I went up to the museum and spent an entire day there,” Hanks confirms about part of the research required for his portrayal of the Hollywood legend. “Diane Disney and the staff there were incredibly welcoming and helpful. I heard every single piece of audio and saw every piece of film in the place about Walt’s entire history. He invented an art form that anybody can imitate, but no one can do better. Just helped tremendously.”
Hanks came away from that visit with important insight into Walt Disney’s character. He explains, “Walt was hands-on every step of the way, yet he always used the word 'we.' He never said, 'I had an idea' or 'I did it this way.' I thought that was great. There was an inclusiveness to everything he did. It went from the early cartoons in Kansas City all the way to his theme parks.”
Explaining the essence of Disney that he was trying to capture on screen, Hanks says, “Walt’s head was so full of magnificent ideas that he could not help make everybody else excited about them. And that’s what I was going for. I wanted to convey his pride and joy about the studio and what was coming out of it. There is a tactile connection to every word he says that has to come out of release.”
Emma Thompson looked forward to working with Tom Hanks, as the two of them have always wanted to do a film together. She says, “We have known each other for a long time, so when this was being cast I rang him up and said, ‘This is just so perfect.’
“Tom is fascinated by Disney and knows a lot about him. There’s something faintly similar to the pair of them—their enduring popularity and their sort of everyman quality and a huge kind of a charm,” she concludes.
Opening across the Philippines on Feb. 26, “Saving Mr. Banks” is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International through Columbia Pictures.
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Saving Mr. Banks -- Untold Story of "Marry Poppins'" Journey from Book to Screen
In 1961, Walt Disney invited “Mary Poppins” author P.L. Travers to his studio in Los Angeles to discuss, in person, his continued interest in obtaining the movie rights to her beloved book and character—a pitch he first made to her in the 1940s. Still hesitant and disinterested after all those years, Travers wanted to tell the Hollywood impresario to go fly a kite but with dwindling sales of her books and a bleak economic future looming, P.L. Travers said yes and embarked on a two-week sojourn in Los Angeles that would ultimately set the wheels of the beloved film in motion.
Now, Walt Disney Pictures presents “Saving Mr. Banks,” a film inspired by this extraordinary, untold back story of how Disney’s classic “Mary Poppins” made it to the screen, starring two-time Academy Award® winner Emma Thompson, fellow double Oscar® winner Tom Hanks and acclaimed actor Colin Farrell.
“Mary Poppins’” journey to the screen begins the moment Walt Disney’s daughters beg him to make a movie of their favorite book, P.L. Travers’ “Mary Poppins.” Walt makes them a promise to do so, but it is a promise that he doesn’t realize will take 20 years to keep. In his quest to obtain the rights, Walt comes up against a curmudgeonly, uncompromising writer who has absolutely no intention of letting her beloved magical nanny get mauled by the Hollywood machine. But, as the books stop selling and money grows short, Travers reluctantly agrees to go to Los Angeles to hear Disney’s plans for the adaptation.
For those two short weeks in 1961, Walt Disney pulls out all the stops. Armed with imaginative storyboards and chirpy songs from the talented Sherman brothers, Walt launches an all-out onslaught on P.L. Travers, but the prickly author doesn’t budge. He soon begins to watch helplessly as Travers becomes increasingly immovable and the rights begin to move further away from his grasp.
It is only when he reaches into his own childhood that Walt discovers the truth about the ghosts that haunt her, and together they set Mary Poppins free to ultimately make one of the most endearing films in cinematic history.
Expounding on the premise of the film, director John Lee Hancock says, “It’s really a fantastic story, but it’s not the behind-the-scenes look at the making of ‘Mary Poppins.’ You’re not on a soundstage with a young Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke. Our story takes you back two to three years before the actual production of the movie began.
“Walt Disney saw the promise of that movie, which made it worth dealing with P.L. Travers to secure the rights. That’s our story, a fantastic story, about a beloved movie, its own story and characters, and the origins of how it became this amazing, groundbreaking film. On a deeper level, it’s also about two storytellers and Disney’s journey trying to discover why P.L. Travers holds on so dearly and protectively to her story and the image of this father she adored,”Hancock concludes.
Colin Farrell co-stars as Travers’ doting dad, Travers Goff, along with British actress Ruth Wilson (Disney’s “The Lone Ranger”) as his wife, Margaret; Oscar® and Emmy® nominee Rachel Griffiths (“Six Feet Under”) appears as Margaret’s sister Aunt Ellie (who inspired the title character of Travers’ novel); and a screen newcomer—11-year-old Aussie native Annie Rose Buckley—is the young, blossoming writer, nicknamed Ginty, in the flashback sequences.
The cast also includes Oscar® nominee and Emmy® winner Paul Giamatti (“Sideways”) as Ralph, the kindly limousine driver who escorts Travers during her two-week stay in Hollywood; Jason Schwartzman (“Rushmore”) and B.J. Novak (“Inglourious Basterds”) as the songwriting Sherman brothers (Richard and Robert, respectively); Emmy winner Bradley Whitford (“The Cabin in the Woods”) as screenwriter Don DaGradi; and multi-Emmy winner Kathy Baker (“Edward Scissorhands”) as Tommie, one of Disney’s trusted studio confidantes.
“Saving Mr. Banks” is directed by John Lee Hancock (“The Blind Side”) from a screenplay written by Kelly Marcel and Sue Smith.
Opening across the Philippines on Feb. 26, “Saving Mr. Banks” is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International through Columbia Pictures.
Now, Walt Disney Pictures presents “Saving Mr. Banks,” a film inspired by this extraordinary, untold back story of how Disney’s classic “Mary Poppins” made it to the screen, starring two-time Academy Award® winner Emma Thompson, fellow double Oscar® winner Tom Hanks and acclaimed actor Colin Farrell.
“Mary Poppins’” journey to the screen begins the moment Walt Disney’s daughters beg him to make a movie of their favorite book, P.L. Travers’ “Mary Poppins.” Walt makes them a promise to do so, but it is a promise that he doesn’t realize will take 20 years to keep. In his quest to obtain the rights, Walt comes up against a curmudgeonly, uncompromising writer who has absolutely no intention of letting her beloved magical nanny get mauled by the Hollywood machine. But, as the books stop selling and money grows short, Travers reluctantly agrees to go to Los Angeles to hear Disney’s plans for the adaptation.
For those two short weeks in 1961, Walt Disney pulls out all the stops. Armed with imaginative storyboards and chirpy songs from the talented Sherman brothers, Walt launches an all-out onslaught on P.L. Travers, but the prickly author doesn’t budge. He soon begins to watch helplessly as Travers becomes increasingly immovable and the rights begin to move further away from his grasp.
It is only when he reaches into his own childhood that Walt discovers the truth about the ghosts that haunt her, and together they set Mary Poppins free to ultimately make one of the most endearing films in cinematic history.
Expounding on the premise of the film, director John Lee Hancock says, “It’s really a fantastic story, but it’s not the behind-the-scenes look at the making of ‘Mary Poppins.’ You’re not on a soundstage with a young Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke. Our story takes you back two to three years before the actual production of the movie began.
“Walt Disney saw the promise of that movie, which made it worth dealing with P.L. Travers to secure the rights. That’s our story, a fantastic story, about a beloved movie, its own story and characters, and the origins of how it became this amazing, groundbreaking film. On a deeper level, it’s also about two storytellers and Disney’s journey trying to discover why P.L. Travers holds on so dearly and protectively to her story and the image of this father she adored,”Hancock concludes.
Colin Farrell co-stars as Travers’ doting dad, Travers Goff, along with British actress Ruth Wilson (Disney’s “The Lone Ranger”) as his wife, Margaret; Oscar® and Emmy® nominee Rachel Griffiths (“Six Feet Under”) appears as Margaret’s sister Aunt Ellie (who inspired the title character of Travers’ novel); and a screen newcomer—11-year-old Aussie native Annie Rose Buckley—is the young, blossoming writer, nicknamed Ginty, in the flashback sequences.
The cast also includes Oscar® nominee and Emmy® winner Paul Giamatti (“Sideways”) as Ralph, the kindly limousine driver who escorts Travers during her two-week stay in Hollywood; Jason Schwartzman (“Rushmore”) and B.J. Novak (“Inglourious Basterds”) as the songwriting Sherman brothers (Richard and Robert, respectively); Emmy winner Bradley Whitford (“The Cabin in the Woods”) as screenwriter Don DaGradi; and multi-Emmy winner Kathy Baker (“Edward Scissorhands”) as Tommie, one of Disney’s trusted studio confidantes.
“Saving Mr. Banks” is directed by John Lee Hancock (“The Blind Side”) from a screenplay written by Kelly Marcel and Sue Smith.
Opening across the Philippines on Feb. 26, “Saving Mr. Banks” is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures International through Columbia Pictures.
Friday, January 10, 2014
2014 Movie Lineup from Walt Disney Studios
Continuing our trend of giving you, my beloved readers, an idea of what to expect for 2014 movie-wise, Walt Disney sent me their complete offering for the year. Be excited for more magic, more mystery and more Marvel Studios.
2014 PREVIEW: WALT DISNEY PHILIPPINES
“Saving Mr. Banks” – February 26
Studio: Walt Disney Studios
Genre: Drama
Cast: Tom Hanks, Emma Thompson, Colin Farrell
Director: John Lee Hancock
In 1961, Walt Disney invited “Mary Poppins” author P.L. Travers to his studio in Los Angeles to discuss, in person, his continued interest in obtaining the movie rights to her beloved book and character—a pitch he first made to her in the 1940s. Still hesitant and disinterested after all those years, Travers wanted to tell the Hollywood impresario to go fly a kite but with dwindling sales of her books and a bleak economic future looming, P.L. Travers said yes and embarked on a two-week sojourn in Los Angeles that would ultimately set the wheels of the beloved film in motion.
Now, Walt Disney Pictures presents “Saving Mr. Banks,” a film inspired by this extraordinary, untold backstory of how Disney’s classic “Mary Poppins” made it to the screen, starring two-time Academy Award®–winner Emma Thompson and fellow double Oscar®-winner Tom Hanks.
Colin Farrell co-stars as Travers’ doting dad, Travers Goff. The cast also includes Paul Giamatti as Ralph, the kindly limousine driver who escorts Travers during her two-week stay in Hollywood; Jason Schwartzman and B.J. Novak as the songwriting Sherman Brothers (Richard and Robert, respectively).
“Need for Speed” – March 14
Studio: DreamWorks Pictures
Genre: Action-Thriller
Cast: Aaron Paul, Dominic Cooper, Imogen Poots
"Breaking Bad’s" Aaron Paul plays Tobey Marshall, an auto mechanic seeking revenge on Dino Brewster, played by Dominic Cooper.
“Need for Speed” marks an exciting return to the great car culture films of the 1960s and ’70s, tapping into what makes the American myth of the open road so appealing. The story chronicles a near-impossible cross-country journey for our heroes—one that begins as a mission for revenge, but proves to be one of redemption.
An adaptation of Electronic Arts' popular video game franchise, “Need for Speed” will be a fast-paced, high-octane film extremely faithful to the spirit of the video game series. The cars are hot, the racing is intense and the story keeps players at the edge of their seat.
“Muppets Most Wanted” – March 21
Studio: Walt Disney Studios
Genre: Comedy
Cast: Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Tina Fey, Ricky Gervais
Directed by James Bobin, “Muppets Most Wanted” stars Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, Animal, Ricky Gervais (TV's “The Office”), Ty Burrell (TV's “Modern Family”) and Tina Fey (“Date Night”).
The sequel takes the entire Muppets gang on a global tour, selling out grand theaters in some of Europe's most exciting destinations, including Berlin, Madrid and London. But mayhem follows the Muppets overseas, as they find themselves unwittingly entangled in an international crime caper headed by Constantine – the World's Number One Criminal and a dead ringer for Kermit – and his dastardly sidekick Dominic, aka Number Two, portrayed by Ricky Gervais. Tina Fey stars as Nadya, a feisty prison guard, and Ty Burrell as Interpol agent Jean Pierre Napoleon.
“Captain America: The Winter Soldier” – March 26
Studio: Marvel Studios
Genre: Action Adventure
Cast: Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson
Marvel’s “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” returns Chris Evans as the iconic Super Hero character Steve Rogers/Captain America, along with Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury. In addition, film icon Robert Redford has joined the all-star cast as Agent Alexander Pierce, a senior leader within the S.H.I.E.L.D. organization.
“Captain America: The Winter Soldier” will pick-up where “Marvel’s The Avengers” left off, as Steve Rogers struggles to embrace his role in the modern world and teams up with Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, to battle a powerful yet shadowy enemy in present-day Washington, D.C.
Based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series, first published in 1941, Marvel’s “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” features an outstanding supporting cast that includes Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier, Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson/Falcon, Cobie Smulders as Agent Maria Hill, Frank Grillo as Brock Rumlow and Georges St-Pierre as Georges Batroc.
Rounding out the talented cast are Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter, Toby Jones as Arnim Zola, Emily VanCamp as Agent 13 and Maximiliano Hernández as Agent Jasper Sitwell.
“Maleficent” – May 28
Studio: Walt Disney Studios
Genre: Fantasy Adventure
Cast: Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Sharlto Copley
From Disney comes “Maleficent”—the untold story of Disney’s most iconic villain from the 1959 classic “Sleeping Beauty.” A beautiful, pure-hearted young woman, Maleficent has an idyllic life growing up in a peaceable forest kingdom, until one day when an invading army threatens the harmony of the land. Maleficent rises to be the land’s fiercest protector, but she ultimately suffers a ruthless betrayal—an act that begins to turn her pure heart to stone. Bent on revenge, Maleficent faces an epic battle with the invading king’s successor and, as a result, places a curse upon his newborn infant Aurora. As the child grows, Maleficent realizes that Aurora holds the key to peace in the kingdom—and perhaps to Maleficent’s true happiness as well.
The film stars Angelina Jolie as Maleficent, Sharlto Copley, Elle Fanning, Sam Riley, Imelda Staunton, Miranda Richardson, Juno Temple and Lesley Manville.
“Guardians of the Galaxy” – August 01
Studio: Marvel Studios
Genre: Action Adventure
Cast: Chris Pratt, Benicio del Toro, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana
From Marvel, the studio that brought you the global blockbuster franchises of “Iron Man,” “Thor,” “Captain America” and “The Avengers,” comes a new team – the “Guardians of the Galaxy.”
An action-packed, epic space adventure, “Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy” expands the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the cosmos, where brash adventurer Peter Quill finds himself the object of an unrelenting bounty hunt after stealing a mysterious orb coveted by Ronan, a powerful villain with ambitions that threaten the entire universe.
To evade the ever-persistent Ronan, Quill is forced into an uneasy truce with a quartet of disparate misfits–Rocket, a gun-toting raccoon, Groot, a tree-like humanoid, the deadly and enigmatic Gamora and the revenge-driven Drax the Destroyer.
But when Peter discovers the true power of the orb and the menace it poses to the cosmos, he must do his best to rally his ragtag rivals for a last, desperate stand – with the galaxy’s fate in the balance.
Directed by James Gunn, the live-action "Guardians of the Galaxy" will take fans to new corners of the Marvel Universe when it hits theaters August 1, 2014.
“Planes: Fire & Rescue” – August 13
Studio: Walt Disney Studios
Genre: Comedy
Voice Cast: Dane Cook, Julie Bowen
“Planes: Fire & Rescue” is a new comedy-adventure about second chances, featuring a dynamic crew of elite firefighting aircraft devoted to protecting historic Piston Peak National Park from raging wildfire. When world famous air racer Dusty (voice of Dane Cook) learns that his engine is damaged and he may never race again, he must shift gears and is launched into the world of aerial firefighting. Dusty joins forces with veteran fire and rescue helicopter Blade Ranger and his courageous team, including spirited super scooper Dipper (voice of Julie Bowen), heavy-lift helicopter Windlifter, ex-military transport Cabbie and a lively bunch of brave all-terrain vehicles known as The Smokejumpers. Together, the fearless team battles a massive wildfire and Dusty learns what it takes to become a true hero.
“The Hundred-Foot Journey” – September 17
Studio: DreamWorks Pictures
Genre: Drama Comedy
Cast: Helen Mirren
Produced by: Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey
In “The Hundred-Foot Journey,” Hassan Kadam (Manish Dayal) is a culinary ingénue with the gastronomic equivalent of perfect pitch. Displaced from their native India, the Kadam family, led by Papa (Om Puri), settles in the quaint village of Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val in the south of France. Filled with charm, it is both picturesque and elegant – the ideal place to settle down and open an Indian restaurant, the Maison Mumbai. That is, until the chilly chef proprietress of Le Saule Pleureur, a Michelin starred, classical French restaurant run by Madame Mallory (Academy Award®-winner Helen Mirren), gets wind of it. Her icy protests against the new Indian restaurant a hundred feet from her own, escalate to all out war between the two establishments – until Hassan’s passion for French haute cuisine and for Mme. Mallory’s enchanting sous chef, Marguerite (Charlotte Le Bon), combine with his mysteriously delicious talent to weave magic between their two cultures and imbue Saint-Antonin with the flavors of life that even Mme. Mallory cannot ignore. At first Mme. Mallory's culinary rival, she eventually recognizes Hassan's gift as a chef and takes him under her wing.
“The Hundred-Foot Journey” abounds with flavors that burst across the tongue. A stimulating triumph over exile, blossoming with passion and heart, with marjoram and madras, it is a portrayal of two worlds colliding and one boy’s drive to find the comfort of home, in every pot, wherever he may be.
“Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” – October 15
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
Genre: Comedy
Cast: Steve Carell, Jennifer Garner
Disney’s “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” follows the exploits of 11-year-old Alexander as he experiences the most terrible and horrible day of his young life—a day that begins with gum stuck in his hair, followed by one calamity after another. But when Alexander tells his upbeat family about the misadventures of his disastrous day, he finds little sympathy and begins to wonder if bad things only happen to him. He soon learns that he’s not alone when his brother, sister, mom and dad all find themselves living through their own terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. Anyone who says there is no such thing as a bad day just hasn't had one.
“Big Hero 6” – November 07
Studio: Walt Disney Studios
Genre: Animated Adventure
Voice Cast: (NA)
From Walt Disney Animation Studios comes "Big Hero 6," an action comedy adventure about brilliant robotics prodigy Hiro Hamada, who finds himself in the grips of a criminal plot that threatens to destroy the fast-paced, high-tech city of San Fransokyo. With the help of his closest companion - a robot named Baymax - Hiro joins forces with a reluctant team of first-time crime fighters on a mission to save their city. Inspired by the Marvel comics of the same name, and featuring comic-book style action and all the heart and humor audiences expect from Walt Disney Animation Studios, the CG-animated "Big Hero 6" hits theaters in 3D on November 7, 2014.
“Into the Woods” – January 2015
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
Genre: Musical Fantasy
Cast: Johnny Depp, Meryl Streep, Chris Pine
“Into the Woods” is a modern twist on the beloved Brothers Grimm fairy tales, intertwining the plots of a few choice stories and exploring the consequences of the characters’ wishes and quests. This humorous and heartfelt musical follows the classic tales of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Rapunzel—all tied together by an original story involving a baker and his wife, their wish to begin a family and their interaction with the witch who has put a curse on them.
Follow Disney on Facebook HERE
2014 PREVIEW: WALT DISNEY PHILIPPINES
“Saving Mr. Banks” – February 26
Studio: Walt Disney Studios
Genre: Drama
Cast: Tom Hanks, Emma Thompson, Colin Farrell
Director: John Lee Hancock
In 1961, Walt Disney invited “Mary Poppins” author P.L. Travers to his studio in Los Angeles to discuss, in person, his continued interest in obtaining the movie rights to her beloved book and character—a pitch he first made to her in the 1940s. Still hesitant and disinterested after all those years, Travers wanted to tell the Hollywood impresario to go fly a kite but with dwindling sales of her books and a bleak economic future looming, P.L. Travers said yes and embarked on a two-week sojourn in Los Angeles that would ultimately set the wheels of the beloved film in motion.
Now, Walt Disney Pictures presents “Saving Mr. Banks,” a film inspired by this extraordinary, untold backstory of how Disney’s classic “Mary Poppins” made it to the screen, starring two-time Academy Award®–winner Emma Thompson and fellow double Oscar®-winner Tom Hanks.
Colin Farrell co-stars as Travers’ doting dad, Travers Goff. The cast also includes Paul Giamatti as Ralph, the kindly limousine driver who escorts Travers during her two-week stay in Hollywood; Jason Schwartzman and B.J. Novak as the songwriting Sherman Brothers (Richard and Robert, respectively).
“Need for Speed” – March 14
Studio: DreamWorks Pictures
Genre: Action-Thriller
Cast: Aaron Paul, Dominic Cooper, Imogen Poots
"Breaking Bad’s" Aaron Paul plays Tobey Marshall, an auto mechanic seeking revenge on Dino Brewster, played by Dominic Cooper.
“Need for Speed” marks an exciting return to the great car culture films of the 1960s and ’70s, tapping into what makes the American myth of the open road so appealing. The story chronicles a near-impossible cross-country journey for our heroes—one that begins as a mission for revenge, but proves to be one of redemption.
An adaptation of Electronic Arts' popular video game franchise, “Need for Speed” will be a fast-paced, high-octane film extremely faithful to the spirit of the video game series. The cars are hot, the racing is intense and the story keeps players at the edge of their seat.
“Muppets Most Wanted” – March 21
Studio: Walt Disney Studios
Genre: Comedy
Cast: Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Tina Fey, Ricky Gervais
Directed by James Bobin, “Muppets Most Wanted” stars Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Gonzo, Animal, Ricky Gervais (TV's “The Office”), Ty Burrell (TV's “Modern Family”) and Tina Fey (“Date Night”).
The sequel takes the entire Muppets gang on a global tour, selling out grand theaters in some of Europe's most exciting destinations, including Berlin, Madrid and London. But mayhem follows the Muppets overseas, as they find themselves unwittingly entangled in an international crime caper headed by Constantine – the World's Number One Criminal and a dead ringer for Kermit – and his dastardly sidekick Dominic, aka Number Two, portrayed by Ricky Gervais. Tina Fey stars as Nadya, a feisty prison guard, and Ty Burrell as Interpol agent Jean Pierre Napoleon.
“Captain America: The Winter Soldier” – March 26
Studio: Marvel Studios
Genre: Action Adventure
Cast: Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson
Marvel’s “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” returns Chris Evans as the iconic Super Hero character Steve Rogers/Captain America, along with Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury. In addition, film icon Robert Redford has joined the all-star cast as Agent Alexander Pierce, a senior leader within the S.H.I.E.L.D. organization.
“Captain America: The Winter Soldier” will pick-up where “Marvel’s The Avengers” left off, as Steve Rogers struggles to embrace his role in the modern world and teams up with Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow, to battle a powerful yet shadowy enemy in present-day Washington, D.C.
Based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series, first published in 1941, Marvel’s “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” features an outstanding supporting cast that includes Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier, Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson/Falcon, Cobie Smulders as Agent Maria Hill, Frank Grillo as Brock Rumlow and Georges St-Pierre as Georges Batroc.
Rounding out the talented cast are Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter, Toby Jones as Arnim Zola, Emily VanCamp as Agent 13 and Maximiliano Hernández as Agent Jasper Sitwell.
“Maleficent” – May 28
Studio: Walt Disney Studios
Genre: Fantasy Adventure
Cast: Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Sharlto Copley
From Disney comes “Maleficent”—the untold story of Disney’s most iconic villain from the 1959 classic “Sleeping Beauty.” A beautiful, pure-hearted young woman, Maleficent has an idyllic life growing up in a peaceable forest kingdom, until one day when an invading army threatens the harmony of the land. Maleficent rises to be the land’s fiercest protector, but she ultimately suffers a ruthless betrayal—an act that begins to turn her pure heart to stone. Bent on revenge, Maleficent faces an epic battle with the invading king’s successor and, as a result, places a curse upon his newborn infant Aurora. As the child grows, Maleficent realizes that Aurora holds the key to peace in the kingdom—and perhaps to Maleficent’s true happiness as well.
The film stars Angelina Jolie as Maleficent, Sharlto Copley, Elle Fanning, Sam Riley, Imelda Staunton, Miranda Richardson, Juno Temple and Lesley Manville.
“Guardians of the Galaxy” – August 01
Studio: Marvel Studios
Genre: Action Adventure
Cast: Chris Pratt, Benicio del Toro, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana
From Marvel, the studio that brought you the global blockbuster franchises of “Iron Man,” “Thor,” “Captain America” and “The Avengers,” comes a new team – the “Guardians of the Galaxy.”
An action-packed, epic space adventure, “Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy” expands the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the cosmos, where brash adventurer Peter Quill finds himself the object of an unrelenting bounty hunt after stealing a mysterious orb coveted by Ronan, a powerful villain with ambitions that threaten the entire universe.
To evade the ever-persistent Ronan, Quill is forced into an uneasy truce with a quartet of disparate misfits–Rocket, a gun-toting raccoon, Groot, a tree-like humanoid, the deadly and enigmatic Gamora and the revenge-driven Drax the Destroyer.
But when Peter discovers the true power of the orb and the menace it poses to the cosmos, he must do his best to rally his ragtag rivals for a last, desperate stand – with the galaxy’s fate in the balance.
Directed by James Gunn, the live-action "Guardians of the Galaxy" will take fans to new corners of the Marvel Universe when it hits theaters August 1, 2014.
“Planes: Fire & Rescue” – August 13
Studio: Walt Disney Studios
Genre: Comedy
Voice Cast: Dane Cook, Julie Bowen
“Planes: Fire & Rescue” is a new comedy-adventure about second chances, featuring a dynamic crew of elite firefighting aircraft devoted to protecting historic Piston Peak National Park from raging wildfire. When world famous air racer Dusty (voice of Dane Cook) learns that his engine is damaged and he may never race again, he must shift gears and is launched into the world of aerial firefighting. Dusty joins forces with veteran fire and rescue helicopter Blade Ranger and his courageous team, including spirited super scooper Dipper (voice of Julie Bowen), heavy-lift helicopter Windlifter, ex-military transport Cabbie and a lively bunch of brave all-terrain vehicles known as The Smokejumpers. Together, the fearless team battles a massive wildfire and Dusty learns what it takes to become a true hero.
“The Hundred-Foot Journey” – September 17
Studio: DreamWorks Pictures
Genre: Drama Comedy
Cast: Helen Mirren
Produced by: Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey
In “The Hundred-Foot Journey,” Hassan Kadam (Manish Dayal) is a culinary ingénue with the gastronomic equivalent of perfect pitch. Displaced from their native India, the Kadam family, led by Papa (Om Puri), settles in the quaint village of Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val in the south of France. Filled with charm, it is both picturesque and elegant – the ideal place to settle down and open an Indian restaurant, the Maison Mumbai. That is, until the chilly chef proprietress of Le Saule Pleureur, a Michelin starred, classical French restaurant run by Madame Mallory (Academy Award®-winner Helen Mirren), gets wind of it. Her icy protests against the new Indian restaurant a hundred feet from her own, escalate to all out war between the two establishments – until Hassan’s passion for French haute cuisine and for Mme. Mallory’s enchanting sous chef, Marguerite (Charlotte Le Bon), combine with his mysteriously delicious talent to weave magic between their two cultures and imbue Saint-Antonin with the flavors of life that even Mme. Mallory cannot ignore. At first Mme. Mallory's culinary rival, she eventually recognizes Hassan's gift as a chef and takes him under her wing.
“The Hundred-Foot Journey” abounds with flavors that burst across the tongue. A stimulating triumph over exile, blossoming with passion and heart, with marjoram and madras, it is a portrayal of two worlds colliding and one boy’s drive to find the comfort of home, in every pot, wherever he may be.
“Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” – October 15
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
Genre: Comedy
Cast: Steve Carell, Jennifer Garner
Disney’s “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” follows the exploits of 11-year-old Alexander as he experiences the most terrible and horrible day of his young life—a day that begins with gum stuck in his hair, followed by one calamity after another. But when Alexander tells his upbeat family about the misadventures of his disastrous day, he finds little sympathy and begins to wonder if bad things only happen to him. He soon learns that he’s not alone when his brother, sister, mom and dad all find themselves living through their own terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. Anyone who says there is no such thing as a bad day just hasn't had one.
“Big Hero 6” – November 07
Studio: Walt Disney Studios
Genre: Animated Adventure
Voice Cast: (NA)
From Walt Disney Animation Studios comes "Big Hero 6," an action comedy adventure about brilliant robotics prodigy Hiro Hamada, who finds himself in the grips of a criminal plot that threatens to destroy the fast-paced, high-tech city of San Fransokyo. With the help of his closest companion - a robot named Baymax - Hiro joins forces with a reluctant team of first-time crime fighters on a mission to save their city. Inspired by the Marvel comics of the same name, and featuring comic-book style action and all the heart and humor audiences expect from Walt Disney Animation Studios, the CG-animated "Big Hero 6" hits theaters in 3D on November 7, 2014.
“Into the Woods” – January 2015
Studio: Walt Disney Pictures
Genre: Musical Fantasy
Cast: Johnny Depp, Meryl Streep, Chris Pine
“Into the Woods” is a modern twist on the beloved Brothers Grimm fairy tales, intertwining the plots of a few choice stories and exploring the consequences of the characters’ wishes and quests. This humorous and heartfelt musical follows the classic tales of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Rapunzel—all tied together by an original story involving a baker and his wife, their wish to begin a family and their interaction with the witch who has put a curse on them.
Follow Disney on Facebook HERE
Thursday, July 11, 2013
First Look at Tom Hanks as Walt Disney
Yup you read it right, Tom Hanks is playing Walt Disney.
The X number of times Oscar winning actor plays the famed studio owner opposite Emma Thompson who plays PL Travers for the movie "Saving Mr. Banks"
Sadly, this isn't a biopic about the life and times of Disney but rather focuses on a specific point in time; the production of the film "Mary Poppins" which starred Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke.
No release date for this film at the moment.
The X number of times Oscar winning actor plays the famed studio owner opposite Emma Thompson who plays PL Travers for the movie "Saving Mr. Banks"
Sadly, this isn't a biopic about the life and times of Disney but rather focuses on a specific point in time; the production of the film "Mary Poppins" which starred Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke.
No release date for this film at the moment.
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