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Exclusive: Australian talent management company Ignite Elite Artists has opened a UK division. The first clients on the company’s UK books are Peter Andre, Amanda Clapham (Hollyoaks), and Ethan Dillon (Vikings).

Headquartered in Sydney, Australia, the company was set up in 2011.

The firm said its expansion to the UK is a “natural progression” and “signifies Ignite’s dedication to fostering exceptional talent and facilitating unparalleled opportunities within the dynamic realms of film, television, and entertainment.”

Ignite also has offices in Sydney and Los Angeles.

“We believe this expansion presents incredible opportunities for our talent,” said CEO Kiera Horner, a spokesperson for Ignite UK. “By bridging the three major international film industries, we aim to provide unparalleled support to our artists while catering to the diverse needs of casting directors. Our ultimate goal is to propel the careers of our talents both domestically and on the global stage.”

Ignite’s...

Exclusive: Australian talent management company Ignite Elite Artists, whose clients include Lukas Whiting (Nautilus), Cecilia Low (Love Me), Annie Rose Buckley (Saving Mr Banks) and Carrie Schroeder (I Am Frankie), has opened an office in LA.

Headquartered in Sydney, Australia, the company was set up in 2011.

The roster also comprises Zoe Sheridan (The Daisy Chain), Daniel Widdowson (Reef Break), Shane Emmett (Home and Away), Laila Thaker (Wentworth), Damien Sato (Echo 8), and U.S. producers including Adam Horner (Cypher).

The firm says it hopes the U.S. expansion is a precursor to additional growth in coming years.

“Opening offices in Los Angeles is a significant milestone for Ignite Elite Artists, and we are thrilled to be expanding our reach to the U.S. market,” said Michelle Horner, Ignite Elite Artists’ founder and CEO. “In Australia, we have worked hard to establish ourselves as a reputable talent management company, and we are...

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment proudly announces the home entertainment release of the heartwarming drama Saving Mr. Banks, arriving on Blu-ray + Digital Copy, DVD, Digital HD and On-Demand on March 18, 2014.

Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson bring to life the untold true story about the origins of one of the most treasured Disney classics of all time. John Lee Hancock (The Blind Side) directs this acclaimed film, which reveals the surprising backstory behind the making of Mary Poppins. Determined to fulfill a promise to his daughters, Walt Disney (Hanks) tries for twenty years to obtain the rights to author P.L. Travers' (Thompson) beloved book. Armed with his iconic creative vision, Walt pulls out all the stops, but the uncompromising Travers won't budge. Only when he reaches into his own complicated childhood does Walt discover the truth about the ghosts that haunt Travers, and together, the set Mary Poppins free.

Featuring...

Film: "Saving Mr. Banks"; Cast: Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, Paul Giamatti, Jason Schwartzman, Colin Farrell, Bradley Whitford, Ruth Wilson, B.J. Novak, Rachel Griffiths, Dendrie Taylor, Kathy Baker, Victoria Summer, Ronan Vibert, Annie Buckley and Melanie Paxson; Director: John Hancock; Rating: ****1/2

An engaging, well-crafted and mounted drama, "Saving Mr. Banks" is the Golden Jubilee tribute to Walt Disney's 1964 family musical hit, "Mary Poppins".

The film is a very intimate representation that unravels the source, adaptation and making of the legendary classic, "Mary Poppins". Touted to be a "real story" of Walter Disney's travails in the making of the film, it also encapsulates the life of the author, P.L. Travers.

Stars: Tom Hanks, Emma Thompson, Annie Rose Buckley, Colin Farrell, Ruth Wilson, Paul Giamatti, Bradley Whitford, Jason Schwartzman | Written by Kelly Marcel, Sue Smith | Directed by John Lee Hancock

Based on the pedigree of Saving Mr. Banks all signs point to a possible fluff piece. Disney is making a movie about Disney? Surely it will be a hyperbolic celebration of past Disney glory, especially when it is coming from John Lee Hancock – the same director that gave us overly sentimental movies like The Rookie and The Blind Side.

Fortunately it is not an idealistic glorification of a modest past. Saving Mr. Banks does much more than document the making of the American classic Mary Poppins. It is a dissection into the way art can be used to work through and process our personal demons. That dissection may over simplify matters at times, but it is still willing to go to...

Now playing in theaters is Saving Mr. Banks, the new film from The Blind Side director John Lee Hancock. Based on a true story, the pic focuses on Walt Disney’s (Tom Hanks) twenty-year pursuit of the film rights to author P.L. Travers’ (Emma Thompson) novel Mary Poppins and the rocky relationship that formed between the two when she finally came to Hollywood. Loaded with great performances, a strong script, and the first time Walt Disney has been portrayed on screen, Banks is a likely contender for this year’s award season. The film also stars Paul Giamatti, Bradley Whitford, Jason Schwartzman, B.J. Novak, Annie Rose Buckley, Ruth Wilson, Rachel Griffiths, Kathy Baker, and Colin Farrell. At the recent Los Angeles press day, I landed an exclusive interview with Schwartzman, who plays Mary Poppins songwriter Richard Sherman. He talked about how he got involved in the project, the way he prepared for the role,...

From Disney, have a very Mary Poppins Christmas...And remember, It's never just Mary! Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson star in this wild ride about that time when Walt Disney tried to convince stubborn author P.L. Travers that her beloved children's novel would make for great family entertainment. Saving Mr. Banks is in theaters now, and expanding wider on Christmas Day!

Saving Mr. Banks was released December 13th, 2013 and stars Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, Annie Rose Buckley, Colin Farrell, Ruth Wilson, Paul Giamatti, Bradley Whitford, B.J. Novak. The film is directed by John Lee Hancock.

Walt Disney himself is the hero of the new Disney comic weeper Saving Mr. Banks, in which the Big Man (Tom Hanks) uses every means at his disposal — charm, wiles, money — to convince the author of Mary Poppins, P.L. Travers (Emma Thompson), to sell him the rights to her character. High-minded but badly in need of cash, the solitary Travers flies from brittle London to balmy L.A., where she withholds her signature from the contract, primly announcing that “Mary doesn’t sing” and that animation is out of the question. Meanwhile, her tiffs with the screenwriter and composers trigger flashbacks of her days as an auburn-tressed darling child (Annie Rose Buckley) with a zany, warm, but deeply unstable dad (Colin Farrell). Before P.L. can entrust her precious Mary to strangers, she must come to terms with the trauma that brought that governess who arrives via umbrella into being.

Now playing in theaters is Saving Mr. Banks, the new film from The Blind Side director John Lee Hancock. Based on a true story, the pic focuses on Walt Disney’s (Tom Hanks) twenty-year pursuit of the film rights to author P.L. Travers’ (Emma Thompson) novel Mary Poppins and the rocky relationship that formed between the two when she finally came to Hollywood. Loaded with great performances, a strong script, and the first time Walt Disney has been portrayed on screen, Banks is a likely contender for this year’s award season. The film also stars Paul Giamatti, Bradley Whitford, Jason Schwartzman, B.J. Novak, Annie Rose Buckley, Ruth Wilson, Rachel Griffiths, Kathy Baker, and Colin Farrell. At the recent Los Angeles press day, I landed an exclusive interview with Emma Thompson. She talked about how she got involved in the project, the way she prepared for the role, getting to...

Every December, fans can look forward to some of the best movies each particular year has to offer, as the awards season really heat up. This year, Disney's Saving Mr. Banks is riding a wave of critical acclaim that could lead to a slew of Oscar nominations in various categories. The film takes fans behind-the-scenes at Walt Disney Pictures in the early 1960s, showing how Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) ended up convincing author P.L. Travers (Emma Thompson) to turn her beloved book Mary Poppins into a movie. We sent Todd Gilchrist to sit down with Emma Thompson, Colin Farrell (Travers Goff), Jason Schwartzman (Richard Sherman), B.J. Novak (Robert Sherman), Bradley Whitford (Don DaGradi) and director John Lee Hancock to discuss this drama, which expands nationwide on December 20. Check out our exclusive interviews with the cast and crew of Saving Mr. Banks.

Saving Mr. Banks was released December 13th, 2013 and stars Emma Thompson,...

Know that when you go see Saving Mr. Banks, you are not going to see a Tom Hanks film. You are going to see an Emma Thompson film. And you just might be awfully glad you did, my friends.

Truth be told, I’m not a huge Disney fan. I enjoy the Disney movies I watch, though I haven’t seen all (or even most) of them. I do, however, admire the story behind P.L. Travers and her treasured Mary Poppins, and it’s that affecting controversy – not the promise of The Mouse – that piqued my interest. In this case, Tom Hanks is simply a magnificent bonus. Furthermore, Colin Farrell is much more integral to the film than the trailers lead you to believe. For that, we can be grateful, for he added an element of charismatic grit to an otherwise luminous film.

Saving Mr. Banks is based on the...

Saving Mr. Banks

Written by Kelly Marcel and Sue Smith

Directed by John Lee Hancock

USA, 2013

“They said only God could make a tree,” Walt Disney says proudly as he strolls down Main Street, U.S.A. in the Disneyland theme park, late in Saving Mr. Banks. Walt, as he prefers to be known, gladhands all the park guests who recognize him from his years of hosting the Disneyland TV series as well as from being the man in charge of many of the heroes and villains of 20th-century America’s collective childhood. He’s in the park this day, showing off his facsimile creation of the ultimate small town to the rigid and distant British author P.L. Travers. So, yes, it was once said that only God was capable of creating life, but at Disneyland, even the next-best thing appears to be satisfactory enough to qualify as a deity.

Two-time Academy Award®–winner Emma Thompson and fellow double Oscar®-winner Tom Hanks topline Disney’s “Saving Mr. Banks,” inspired by the extraordinary, untold backstory of how Disney’s classic “Mary Poppins” made it to the screen. This past month Wamg attended the Saving Mr. Banks press conference where Tom Hanks, Emma Thompson, Colin Farrell, Jason Schwartzman, Bj Novak, Bradley Whitford, director John Lee Hancock, writer Kelly Marcel and producer Alison Owen discussed making the film, Nanny McFee, and scarring grandchildren with Winnie the Pooh.

When Walt Disney’s daughters begged him to make a movie of their favorite book, P.L. Travers’ “Mary Poppins,” he made them a promise—one that he didn’t realize would 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.

Saving Mr. Banks is "inspired" by the making of Walt Disney's effervescent classic musical Mary Poppins.  Emma Thompson artfully plays the caustic creator of Mary Poppins, P.L. Travers, who flies out to Los Angeles to oversee the cinematic adaptation of her work.  Walt Disney (Tom Hanks in a mustache) has started work on the film without her full approval. Along with the songwriting Sherman Brothers (Jason Schwartzman and The Office's B.J. Novak) and storyboard artist Don DaGradi (Bradley Whitford), Disney hopes to convince Travers to sign over the film rights.

As we see Travers spout acerbic wit in later middle age, scenes from the Australian childhood of the author are depicted. Colin Farrell and Ruth Wilson (Luther, The Lone Ranger) play her troubled parents. Bank employee Travers Goff (Farrell) encourages the imagination of young daughter Ginty (Annie Rose Buckley as the young P.L. Travers, nee Helen Goff) while he...

Now playing in limited release and expanding nationwide this weekend is Saving Mr. Banks, the new film from The Blind Side director John Lee Hancock. Based on a true story, the pic focuses on Walt Disney’s (Tom Hanks) twenty-year pursuit of the film rights to author P.L. Travers’ (Emma Thompson) novel Mary Poppins and the rocky relationship that formed between the two when she finally came to Hollywood. Loaded with great performances, a strong script, and the first time Walt Disney has been portrayed on screen, Banks is a likely contender for this year’s award season. The film also stars Paul Giamatti, Bradley Whitford, Jason Schwartzman, B.J. Novak, Annie Rose Buckley, Ruth Wilson, Rachel Griffiths, Kathy Baker, and Colin Farrell. At the recent Los Angeles press day, I landed an exclusive interview with Hancock. He talked about why it took him so long to direct another film after The Blind Side,...

Now playing in limited release and expanding nationwide this weekend is Saving Mr. Banks, the new film from The Blind Side director John Lee Hancock. Based on a true story, the pic focuses on Walt Disney’s (Tom Hanks) twenty-year pursuit of the film rights to author P.L. Travers’ (Emma Thompson) novel Mary Poppins and the rocky relationship that formed between the two when she finally came to Hollywood. Loaded with great performances, a strong script, and the first time Walt Disney has been portrayed on screen, Banks is a likely contender for this year’s award season. The film also stars Paul Giamatti, Bradley Whitford, Jason Schwartzman, B.J. Novak, Annie Rose Buckley, Ruth Wilson, Rachel Griffiths, Kathy Baker, and Colin Farrell. At the recent Los Angeles press day, I landed an exclusive interview with Colin Farrell. He talked about how he got involved in the project, what it was...

Walt Disney, the studio not the epoymous founder or Tom Hanks, has released several featurettes spotlighting Saving Mr. Banks, which opens today.

Genre: Drama

Rating: PG-13

Release Date: December 13, 2013, limited; December 20, 2013, wide

Running Time: 120 min

Cast: Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, Paul Giamatti, Jason Schwartzman, Bradley Whitford, Annie Rose Buckley, Ruth Wilson, B.J. Novak, Rachel Griffiths, Kathy Baker and Colin Farrell

Director: John Lee Hancock

Producers: Alison Owen, Ian Collie, Philip Steuer

Executive Producers: Paul Trijbits, Christine Langan, Andrew Mason, Troy Lum

Written by: Kelly Marcel and Sue Smith

Two-time Academy Award®–winner Emma Thompson and fellow double Oscar®-winner Tom Hanks topline Disney’s Saving Mr. Banks, inspired by the extraordinary, untold backstory of how Disney’s classic “Mary Poppins” made it to the screen.

When Walt Disney’s daughters begged him to make a movie of their favorite book, P.L. Travers’ Mary Poppins, he made them a promise—one...

In the Disney film "Saving Mr. Banks," Colin Farrell plays the inspiration for the title character. He portrays the alcoholic real-life father of Mary Poppins creator, P.L. Travers, played as a young girl by newcomer Annie Rose Buckley and as a deeply damaged adult by Emma Thompson.

The woman who dreamed up the world-famous nanny had a troubled childhood with her wildly imaginative but irresponsible father, Travers Goff, in rural Australia. Years later, in England, she took her father's name as her pseudonym and the character of Mr. Banks, on whose doorstep Mary Poppins magically appears, was loosely drawn on her beloved but tragic father.

Farrell talked with Moviefone about his own experience as a young lad working at (and getting fired from) a bank and why his own children have no idea that he's an actor.

Moviefone: Have you ever had a job as soul-deadening as Travers did at the bank?...

All films based on real events should have historical license.  The most important thing is trying to tell the best story possible, and if that means playing a little fast and loose with the facts, then so be it.  But when those facts become elastic in order to serve an agenda coated in mawkish sentiment, then history a serious consideration rather than a suggestion.  In the case of Saving Mr. Banks, Disney is attempting to rewrite history in service of bolstering the argument of corporate wisdom seducing the misguided artist who doesn't understand that synergy is the best way to catharsis.  The film pays a bit of lip service to cold studio pragmatism, and Tom Hanks is at his most charming, but Saving Mr. Banks' warm, sunny attitude can't mask calculating, self-congratulatory motives. In 1961, P.L. Travers (Emma Thompson) is an uptight, bitter author, whose crushing debt reluctantly forces her...

Disney has released two new behind-the-scenes featurettes for director John Lee Hancock’s upcoming film Saving Mr. Banks. The film’s story focuses on Walt Disney’s (Tom Hanks) pursuit of the film rights to author P.L. Travers’ (Emma Thompson) novel Mary Poppins and the rocky relationship that formed between the two. The film is considered a potential Oscar contender, especially as far as Hanks and Thompson’s performances are concerned. One of these two featurettes explores how Hanks approached playing Walt Disney in what will be the first time the visionary has ever been portrayed onscreen, while the second featurette delves into the music of Mary Poppins, as B.J. Novak and Jason Schwartzman play the legendary Sherman Brothers. Hit the jump to watch the new featurettes, and if you missed Steve’s lengthy and wide-ranging chat with Hanks, click here. The film also stars Bradley Whitford, Paul Giamatti, Annie Rose Buckley,...

Before the adaptation Mary Poppins was a gigantic hit, Walt Disney himself had to convince author P.L. Travers that her story belonged on the big screen. This untold history gets its own adaptation with Saving Mr. Banks, arriving in limited release December 13 before expanding nationwide December 20. Walt Disney Pictures has released four featurettes that give fans behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with cast members such as Tom Hanks, Emma Thompson and director John Lee Hancock. We also hear from Mary Poppins composer Richard M. Sherman, who tells his own personal stories about interacting with Walt Disney.

Saving Mr. Banks was released December 13th, 2013 and stars Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, Annie Rose Buckley, Colin Farrell, Ruth Wilson, Paul Giamatti, Bradley Whitford, B.J. Novak. The film is directed by John Lee Hancock.

Rated PG-13 for thematic elements including some unsettling images Cast: Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, Colin Farrell, Jason Schwartzman, Bradley Whitford, Ruth Wilson, B.J. Novak, Annie Rose Buckley, and Paul Giamatti Written By: Kelly Marcel and Sue Smith Directed By: John Lee Hancock Where is the line between commercial entertainment and artistic integrity? Funnily enough, the making of Saving […]

Read Review: Saving Mr. Banks on Filmonic.

Saving Mr. Banks is a tale of two halves. The first half involves a rather standard setup with more flashbacks than any film need utilize. We're introduced to the ever lovable and determined Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) and the persnickety P.L. Travers (Emma Thompson), author of "Mary Poppins", a book Disney had promised his daughters he'd make into a movie and has spent the better part of 20 years trying to convince Travers to sell him the rights. However, as much as I grew tired of the looks back on the early life of Travers as the story builds, the second half puts all of those flashbacks into perspective, resulting in a wonderful third act where Thompson shines, giving the film an emotional weight that's as welcomed as much as it is cliched. Hollywood may revel in making movies about making movies, but it's hard to fault them as working with...

See 3 new featurettes from the wonderful-looking Saving Mr. Banks one on music, the story and a behind-the-scenes featurette on Tom Hanks. Saving Mr. Banks opens in limited theaters on December 13th, followed by a wide release on December 20th, 2013. Starring are Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, Paul Giamatti, Jason Schwartzman, Bradley Whitford, Annie Rose Buckley, Ruth Wilson, B.J. Novak, Rachel Griffiths, Kathy Baker and Colin Farrell. The film is produced by Ian Collie, Alison Owen, Philip Steur, and executive produced by Paul Trijbits, Christine Langan, Andrew Mason and Troy Lum.

Title: Saving Mr. Banks Walt Disney Pictures Reviewed for Shockya by Harvey Karten. Data-based on RottenTomatoes.com Grade: B+ Director: John Lee Hancock Screenwriter: Kelly Marcel, Sue Smith Cast: Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, Paul Giamatti, Jason Schwartzman, Bradley Whitford, Annie Rose Buckley, Ruth Wilson, B.J. Novak, Rachel Griffiths, Kathy Baker, Colin Farrell Screened at: NYC, Regal E-Walk, 12/9/13 Opens: December 13, 2013 J.K. Rowling became the richest woman in England for her Harry Potter book, which not only sold four hundred million copies but gained even a wider audience through the movie adaptations. You’d think that anyone would jump at the chance to get a Hollywood producer to sign you up [ Read More ]

The post Saving Mr. Banks Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.

Chicago – In the latest HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film with our unique social giveaway technology, we have 100 pairs of advance-screening tix up for grabs to the “Mary Poppins” backstory “Saving Mr. Banks” with Emma Thompson and Tom Hanks!

“Saving Mr. Banks,” which is rated “PG-13” and opens wide on Dec. 20, 2013, also stars Paul Giamatti, Colin Farrell, Jason Schwartzman, Annie Rose Buckley, Ruth Wilson, Bradley Whitford, B.J. Novak, Lily Bigham, Kathy Baker, Melanie Paxson, Andy McPhee, Rachel Griffiths and Ronan Vibert from director John Lee Hancock and writers Kelly Marcel and Sue Smith.

To win your free “Saving Mr. Banks” passes courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, just get interactive with our unique Hookup technology below. That’s it! This screening is on Monday, Dec. 9, 2013 at 7 p.m. in downtown Chicago. The more social actions you complete, the more points you score and the higher yours odds of winning! Completing these social actions only...

It makes perfect sense that any of the marketing we've seen for "Saving Mr. Banks" so far has focused almost exclusively on the relationship between Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) and P.L. Travers (Emma Thompson), and that makes sense. That is what the film deals with for the most part, but there's another relationship in the film that is, in its way, even more important. Colin Farrell plays Travers Robert Goff, father to Helen Goff, aka Ginty (Annie Rose Buckley), the little girl who eventually grows up and takes the professional pseudonym of P.L. Travers. He is her world, as we see...

We have added a set of 18 new pictures from the forthcoming Walt Disney Pictures drama, "Saving Mr. Banks."The film stars Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, Colin Farrell, Paul Giamatti, Jason Schwartzman, Bradley Whitford, Annie Rose Buckley, Ruth Wilson, B.J. Novak, Rachel Griffiths and Kathy Baker.wo-time Academy Award®–winner Emma Thompson and fellow double Oscar®-winner Tom Hanks topline Disney's "Saving Mr. Banks," inspired by the extraordinary, untold backstory of how Disney's classic "Mary Poppins" made it to the screen.When Walt Disney's daughters begged him to make a movie of their favorite book, P.L. Travers' "Mary Poppins," he made them a promise - one that he didn't realize would take 20 years to keep. In his quest to obtain the rights, Walt...

Next month, John Lee Hancock’s (The Blind Side) Saving Mr. Banks will open in theaters. Based on the true story, the pic focuses on Walt Disney’s (Tom Hanks) twenty-year pursuit of the film rights to author P.L. Travers’ (Emma Thompson) novel Mary Poppins and the rocky relationship that formed between the two when she finally came to Hollywood. Loaded with great performances, a strong script, and the first time Walt Disney has been portrayed on screen, Banks is a likely contender for this year's award season. The film also stars Paul Giamatti, Bradley Whitford, Jason Schwartzman, B.J. Novak, Annie Rose Buckley, Ruth Wilson, Rachel Griffiths, Kathy Baker, and Colin Farrell. At the recent Los Angeles press day, only a few other reporters and I had an intimate thirty-minute roundtable interview with Hanks. While I've been running Collider for over eight years, this was the first time I'd gotten...

AFI Fest 2013 kicked off with a Hollywood Red Carpet premiere!

Saving Mr. Banks, starring Oscar-winning actress Emma Thompson, and AFI Life Achievement Award recipient and Academy Award-winning actor Tom Hanks, had its North American debut on Thursday as the Opening Night Gala.

Inspired by true events, Saving Mr. Banks is the extraordinary, untold story of how Walt Disney’s classic Mary Poppins made it to the screen – and the testy relationship between the legendary Walt Disney and author P.L. Travers that almost derailed it.

Directed by John Lee Hancock (The Blind Side) with a screenplay by Kelly Marcel and Sue Smith. Saving Mr. Banks also stars Paul Giamatti, Jason Schwartzman, Bradley Whitford, Annie Rose Buckley, Ruth Wilson, B.J. Novak, Rachel Griffiths, Kathy Baker and Colin Farrell.

Mary Poppins premiered at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in 1964 with both Walt Disney and P.L. Travers in attendance. The film was nominated for an...

Disney has released the first clip and two featurettes for John Lee Hancock's Saving Mr. Banks. The story focuses on Walt Disney’s (Tom Hanks) pursuit of the film rights to author P.L. Travers’ (Emma Thompson) novel Mary Poppins and the rocky relationship that formed between the two. Judging by the brief clip, which centers on the first meeting between Disney and Travers, the two lead actors look like they'll have some good chemistry. As for the featurettes, one explains the appeal of the story, and the other celebrates Thompson's performance. The latter is a bit confusing since everyone is praising the complexity of the character and the depth of Thompson's performance, but all we're seeing is a prim-and-proper fish-out-of-water. At the end of the featurette, we get a glimpse of the dramatic side, but I'm worried these moments will feel forced in the movie. My current prediction is...

When Disney’s Saving Mr. Banks opens in theaters in December, audiences will delight in a movie that gives them not only a rare glimpse of the behind-the-scenes tug-of-war that ultimately brought “Mary Poppins” to the screen but also a glimpse of the creative geniuses it took to envision the classic film – everyone from a cantankerous, difficult author to an ever-optimistic, visionary entrepreneur.

John Lee Hancock’s film will have it’s North American Premiere at the Opening Night Gala of the 2013 AFI Fest on Thursday, November 7.

Actors Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson discuss the backstory of what would ultimately set the wheels of the beloved film in motion.

Prior to it’s screening at the AFI Fest 2013, the Oscar-winning actress will be honored with a handprint-footprint ceremony at the Tcl Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.

In preparation to take on the persona of P.L. Travers, Thompson listened to tapes of...

Disney has released a few new images from director John Lee Hancock’s (The Blind Side) upcoming film Saving Mr. Banks. The pic focuses on Walt Disney’s (Tom Hanks) twenty-year pursuit of the film rights to author P.L. Travers’ (Emma Thompson) novel Mary Poppins and the rocky relationship that formed between the two. All eyes are on this one as a potential crowd-pleasing Oscar contender, and the first trailer definitely teased a pair of excellent performances from Hanks and Thompson. In these new images, we also get a look at Jason Schwartzman and B.J. Novak as brothers Richard and Robert Sherman, who composed the score and songs for the eventual Mary Poppins film. Hit the jump to take a look at the images. The film also stars Paul Giamatti, Bradley Whitford, Annie Rose Buckley, Ruth Wilson, Rachel Griffiths, Kathy Baker, and Colin Farrell. Saving Mr. Banks will premiere at...

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The American Film Institute (AFI) announced today early details of its AFI Fest 2013 presented by Audi. The programming unveiled epitomizes the vision of the festival – a celebration of Hollywood today where icons and emerging artists bring audiences together to experience global cinema in the movie capital of the world.

The North American Premiere Gala of Disney’s Saving Mr. Banks will open the festival on Thursday, November 7.

The World Premiere Opening Weekend Gala of Sony Picture Classics’ Foxcatcher on Friday, November 8 will launch a slate of independent and auteur films that will unspool over the course of the festival. Agnès Varda, considered “the mother of French New Wave cinema,” will serve as Guest Artistic Director.

“The American Film Institute honors the past, the present and the future of the motion picture arts. Now in its 27th year, AFI Fest remains the place to experience...

Earlier in July we got our first look of Tom Hanks as Walt Disney and Emma Thompson as author P.L. Travers in the trailer for Saving Mr. Banks.

Today the shadows of Mickey Mouse and Mary Poppins feature prominently in this first poster for director John Lee Hancock’s film. There is such an emotional finesse to the simplicity of the figures walking side-by-side that harkens back to the glory days of Disney.

Its so very sweet and when a studio gets it right, a poster like the one above hits you right in the gut.

Inspired by true events, Saving Mr. Banks is the extraordinary, untold story of how Disney’s classic “Mary Poppins” made it to the screen – and the testy relationship that the legendary Walt Disney had with author P.L. Travers that almost derailed it.

The film also features Colin Farrell, Paul Giamatti, Jason Schwartzman, Bradley Whitford,...

Following the trailer two weeks ago, Walt Disney Pictures has revealed the poster design for Saving Mr. Banks , starring Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, Colin Farrell, Paul Giamatti, Jason Schwartzman, Bradley Whitford, Annie Rose Buckley, Ruth Wilson, B.J. Novak, Rachel Griffiths and Kathy Baker. The film opens in limited theaters on December 13 before expanding wide on December 20. When Walt Disney's daughters begged him to make a movie of their favorite book, P.L. Travers' "Mary Poppins," he made them a promise - one that he didn't realize would 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...

Walt Disney Pictures has released the trailer for “Saving Mr. Banks” starring Tom Hanks, Emma Thompson, Colin Farrell, Paul Giamatti, Jason Schwartzman, Bradley Whitford, Annie Rose Buckley, and Ruth Wilson.

Film is directed by John Lee Hancock from a screenplay written by Kelly Marcel.

Two-time Academy Award®–winner Emma Thompson and fellow double Oscar®-winner Tom Hanks topline Disney’s “Saving Mr. Banks,” inspired by the extraordinary, untold backstory of how Disney’s classic “Mary Poppins” made it to the screen.

When Walt Disney’s daughters begged him to make a movie of their favorite book, P.L. Travers’ “Mary Poppins,” he made them a promise – one that he didn’t realize would 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...

Here’s the new trailer for director John Lee Hancock’s Saving Mr. Banks. Inspired by true events, Saving Mr. Banks is the extraordinary, untold story of how Disney’s classic “Mary Poppins” made it to the screen – and the testy relationship that the legendary Walt Disney had with author P.L. Travers that almost derailed it. Two-time Academy Award-winner Emma Thompson and fellow double Oscar-winner Tom Hanks star.

Looks good! I’m already loving the chemistry between Thompson and Hanks. Let’s see how it goes over with Academy voters during this Oscar season. “Mary Poppins” won five awards of its 13 Academy Award® nominations at the 1965 ceremonies: Best Actress (Julie Andrews), Best Effects, Best Film Editing, Original Score and Original Song (“Chim Chim-Cher-ee”). Among the nominations were Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay.

When Walt Disney’s daughters begged him to make a movie of their favorite book, P.L. Travers’ “Mary Poppins,...

Here is the first trailer for John Lee Hancock’s (The Blind Side) Saving Mr. Banks which follows Walt Disney’s (Tom Hanks) twenty-year pursuit (a quest he began in the 1940s as a promise to his two daughters) of the film rights to author P.L. Travers’ (Emma Thompson) novel Mary Poppins.

Everyone likes Tom Hanks, so it’s always nice to see him having fun with a role; it’s pretty evident here he’s having a blast. He and Thompson look like they have the chemistry needed to pull this off too, otherwise a rather dull sounding premise would have no umbrella to fly if you know what I’m saying. Holiday season and Oscar season may have found a winner.

The film also stars Colin Farrell, Paul Giamatti, Jason Schwartzman, Bradley Whitford, Annie Rose Buckley, Ruth Wilson, B.J. Novak, Rachel Griffiths, and Kathy Baker.

Saving Mr. Banks...

The first trailer has been release for John Lee Hancock's Saving Mr. Banks. The first trailer has been release for John Lee Hancock's Saving Mr. Banks. The film focuses on Walt Disney’s (Tom Hanks) twenty-year pursuit of the film rights to author P.L. Travers’ (Emma Thompson) novel Mary Poppins and the rocky relationship that formed between the two. In some ways, it's pure Oscar-bait and easily digestible as well as a little on the sappy side, but it also looks quite charming. Hanks and Thompson look like they have great chemistry, and I got a big laugh when they come across the problem of trying to sell Travers on "supercalifragilousexpialadocious". Hit the jump to check out the trailer. The film also stars Colin Farrell, Paul Giamatti, Jason Schwartzman, Bradley Whitford, Annie Rose Buckley, Ruth Wilson, B.J. Novak, Rachel Griffiths, and Kathy Baker. Saving Mr. Banks opens in...

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures' Saving Mr. Banks starring Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson gets a new trailer as well as a first-look photo of the film which opens in theaters limited on December 13, 2013 and opens wide on December 20, 2013. Also on board this incredible cast are Colin Farrell, Paul Giamatti, Jason Schwartzman, Bradley Whitford, Annie Rose Buckley, Ruth Wilson, B.J. Novak, Rachel Griffiths and Kathy Baker. John Lee Hancock directs from the screenplay by Kelly Marcel and Sue Smith. Saving Mr. Banks is produced by Alison Owen, Ian Collie and Philip Steuer, and executive-produced by Paul Trijbits, Andrew Mason, Troy Lum and Christine Langan.

Walt Disney Pictures has released the trailer for Saving Mr. Banks , the dramedy starring Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, Colin Farrell, Paul Giamatti, Jason Schwartzman, Bradley Whitford, Annie Rose Buckley, Ruth Wilson, B.J. Novak, Rachel Griffiths and Kathy Baker. The December 13 release tells the extraordinary, untold backstory of how Disney's classic "Mary Poppins" made it to the screen. When Walt Disney's daughters begged him to make a movie of their favorite book, P.L. Travers' "Mary Poppins," he made them a promise - one that he didn't realize would 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...

Photo: Time / FRANÇOIS Duhamel / Disney

Here’s your first look at Emma Thompson as author P.L. Travers and Tom Hanks as the legendary Walt Disney in Disney’s Saving Mr. Banks, inspired by the extraordinary, untold backstory of how Disney’s classic “Mary Poppins” made it to the screen.

On playing Travers, Thompson told Time, “She’s the most difficult person I’ve ever played.”

The film will release in U.S. theaters on December 13, 2013, limited, and open wide on December 20, 2013 – prime for a run during the upcoming Awards season. Two-time Oscar winner Tom Hanks also has the Somali pirates film in the mix this Fall - Academy Awards bait, Captain Phillips, which will release on October 11th.

When Walt Disney’s daughters begged him to make a movie of their favorite book, P.L. Travers’ “Mary Poppins,” he made them a promise – one that he didn’t realize would take 20 years to keep.

Stay awake, don’t rest your head. Don’t lie down upon your bed… sings Mr. Banks in Mary Poppins, and today we’re here to share first set photos from the upcoming Walt Disney biopic titled Saving Mr Banks. Ok, this time it’s not all about Mr. Banks, because these photos give us a first look at Emma Thompson who plays P. L. Travers, author of a legendary series of children’s books.

John Lee Hancock directs the movie from a script written by Kelly Marcel, and as we previously reported – the whole thing will center on the life of Travers. That basically means they will first take us back to 1907 where we’ll have a chance to see her childhood in Queensland, Australia.

Then, of course, director Hancock will tell us the true behind-the-scenes story of the making of Walt Disney Pictures’ 1964 film classic, based on Travers’ book.

Break out the movie planner calendar fellow Movie Geeks. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures has sent us their schedule, along with the official names, of when their films will be hitting cinemas. Among the familiar faces are Captain America, Thor and Iron Man who all came together to save the world in the Summer of 2012 in Marvel’s The Avengers. In August, Disney Studios announced a release date for Marvel Studios. sequel to the biggest Super Hero blockbuster and third highest grossing film of all time. Joss Whedon returns to write and direct the Untitled Marvel.S Avengers Sequel set for release May 1, 2015.

Now for the new stuff. Phineas And Ferb moves to a 2014 debut from it’s previously announced date of July 28, 2013. While many of these titles and dates you see below were announced at Comic-Con in San Diego over the summer, you’ll find some that are new.

Rachel Griffiths and Kathy Baker have joined the cast of drama Saving Mr Banks, which has begun principal photography in Los Angeles.

The film tells the story of the relationship between Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) and Australian author, P.L. Travers (Emma Thompson), and the long journey to bring her famous book, Mary Poppins, to the big screen.

The cast also includes Colin Farrell, Ruth Wilson, Bradley Whitford, Jason Schwartzman, B.J. Novak and Paul Giamatti. Penrith-resident, 11-year-old Annie Buckley, was recently cast as Ginty (the young Travers).

Saving Mr Banks is a rarity in the Australian film industry: it began life as an Australian-uk co-production until Us studio Disney became enraptured with the project and decided to fully finance it. However, two Australian companies are still producing the film: Essential Media and Entertainment and Hopscotch Features (as well as the UK's Ruby Films).

The film may end up in a similar...

Rachel Griffiths and Kathy Baker have rounded out the cast of the John Lee Hancock-directed Disney feature "Saving Mr. Banks" which began production this week says The Herald Online.

Kelly Marcel's script deals with the 14 year courtship by Walt Disney (Tom Hanks) to persuade Australian author P.L. Travers (Emma Thompson) to sell him the film rights to her book "Mary Poppins".

Travers' book was highly personal, and reflected hardships in her own life and her relationship with her father (Colin Farrell) who died when she was seven and living in rural Queensland. Disney finally persuaded her to let him make the film, though she was prickly all the way to the end.

Griffiths will play Travers' aunt, while Baker plays one of Disney’s trusted studio associates. Other previously announced actors include Ruth Wilson as Travers' mother, Annie Buckley as an 11-year-old Travers in flashbacks, Bradley Whitford as screenwriter Don DaGradi,...

Disney began production today on Saving Mr. Banks, the account of Walt Disney's twenty-year pursuit of the film rights to P.L. Travers' popular novel, Mary Poppins, and the testy partnership the upbeat filmmaker develops with the uptight author during the project's pre-production in 1961.

Two-time Academy Award-winner Tom Hanks (Philadelphia, Forrest Gump) will essay the role of the legendary Disney (the first time the entrepreneur has ever been depicted in a dramatic film) alongside fellow double Oscar-winner Emma Thompson (Howards End, Sense and Sensibility) in the role of the prickly novelist. Before actually signing away the book's rights, Travers' demands for contractual script and character control circumvent not only Disney's vision for the film adaptation, but also those of the creative team of screenwriter Don DaGradi and sibling composers Richard and Robert Sherman, whose original score and song (Chim-Chim-Cher-ee) would go on to win Oscars at the 1965 ceremonies (the film...

Disney and Travers

Disney began production today on Saving Mr. Banks the account of Walt Disney.s twenty-year pursuit of the film rights to P.L. Travers. popular novel, Mary Poppins, and the testy partnership the upbeat filmmaker develops with the uptight author during the project.s pre-production in 1961.

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. I’d suspect an end-of-the-year bow for an awards season push. But who will this type of subject matter appeal to exactly? Unless your a fan of Mary Poppins and Walt Disney, it seems boring. They better jazz it up somehow. It reads like an old-peoples’ movie. An HBO showing may have been a better venue for Saving Mr. Banks. On the other hand it could be huge,...

Rachel Griffiths and Kathy Baker have signed on to Saving Mr. Banks, Disney’s film on the making of Mary Poppins which began shooting in Los Angeles Wednesday. Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson star in the drama, which tells the story of how Walt Disney (Hanks) spent 14 years courting P.L. Travers (Thompson), the Australian author of Mary Poppins, to adapt her books about the magical nanny for the big screen. The cast includes Colin Farrell as Travers’ father, British actress Ruth Wilson as his wife, and newcomer Annie Buckley as a young Travers. Also on the call sheet are

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