Some years ago, I had put up a concept for a movie about the history of the opening of Disneyland (tentatively titled "Uncle Walt"), which would have been a biographical drama film in the same vein as "Saving Mr. Banks", except focused on Walt Disney himself. You can see the link for it here: https://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/uncle-walt-a-new-movie-open-brainstorming.935256/#post-7941213. It basically went nowhere, however, in part because I got bogged down with who should play Walt Disney at the expense of focusing on the overall plot first. Some proposed just having Tom Hanks do Walt again, even though the time period is not quite right, while others proposed Ryan Gosling, whom I opposed because A) again, the age was not quite right for this, and B) he's a non-American, but Canadian. I thought the plot was relatively straightforward: the events leading up to the opening of Disneyland, with an emphasis on Walt and Roy's relationship at this juncture (in particular, how Roy was adamantly opposed to the concept at first). But then it got bogged further when others suggested including events after Disneyland, particularly the concept of a city of the future in the swamps of Florida. But I didn't want it to end that way, as that would mean ending on Walt's death bed, and the concept for EPCOT obviously never got off the ground as Walt envisioned it. That's too sad to end that way.
In any case, I was criticized (and not unfairly) that I was asking for ideas when I already had an overall idea in mind, that all I really asked for were for small details instead of focusing on the bigger picture. One thing that really bugs me about actors these days is that far too often, American characters are played by non-American actors, and I wanted to have whoever plays Walt be American himself, which is why I rejected Gosling because he's not American. But I digress.
Anyway, the concept is that this film takes place after the events of World War II, with the studio in doldrums and Walt and Roy at odds with each other. Walt is looking for a means of escapism in a way that film doesn't seem to accomplish anymore, and that ultimately leads to Disneyland.
One new thing I thought of, even though I really wanted to avoid this at first as it would make this biopic too fictitious if I went this route, was taking some inspiration from the backstory of Mickey's Toontown, which would entail Walt meeting/interacting with Mickey and the gang, who could be the only ones who truly believe in Walt when no one else does. The Toontown backstory, in case you don't know, called "Mickey's Swell Idea", goes (in part) like this:
Of course, everyone knows that Mickey's Toontown existed long before Disneyland was built right next door. One happy day in 1952, while Walt Disney was in Toontown visiting his pal Mickey Mouse, his dream for a new park come up in conversation. Mickey knew that whenever Walt got that sparkle in his eye, whatever he was dreaming up was bound to come true. So he was dismayed when Walt confided in him that he was having a difficult time finding a site large enough to accomodate all the wonderful things he had in mind.
"Oh, boy, I've got a swell idea!" Mickey exclaimed as he grabbed Walt by the hand and led him over to the fence that separated Toontown from the human world. "Take a look over this fence," continued Mickey. "There's a fine and dandy parcel of land just on the other side that would be a wonderful place to build Disneyland!" And it was.
As I said, I was hesitant to do this part at first because, as entertaining as it is for live actors to interact with cartoon characters, that would make the biopic too fictitious, and I really don't like it when biopics stray too far from/take too many liberties with the source (e.g., "The Greatest Showman"), but I also felt as though there is no other way. Elsewhere, I was also thinking of delving into "Mr. Banks" territory by having flashbacks to Walt and Roy's childhood in Marceline and then Kansas City, as though Disneyland and Marceline were almost one and the same.
But those are my thoughts overall. What do you think?
And if you should decide to come up with an actor to play Walt, please make sure that he is A) age-appropriate for the time period (i.e., no Tom Hanks, as he is too old for this part, and no Ryan Gosling, as he is too young for this part), and B) American (i.e., no non-Americans, not even Canadians, including, again, Gosling).
In any case, I was criticized (and not unfairly) that I was asking for ideas when I already had an overall idea in mind, that all I really asked for were for small details instead of focusing on the bigger picture. One thing that really bugs me about actors these days is that far too often, American characters are played by non-American actors, and I wanted to have whoever plays Walt be American himself, which is why I rejected Gosling because he's not American. But I digress.
Anyway, the concept is that this film takes place after the events of World War II, with the studio in doldrums and Walt and Roy at odds with each other. Walt is looking for a means of escapism in a way that film doesn't seem to accomplish anymore, and that ultimately leads to Disneyland.
One new thing I thought of, even though I really wanted to avoid this at first as it would make this biopic too fictitious if I went this route, was taking some inspiration from the backstory of Mickey's Toontown, which would entail Walt meeting/interacting with Mickey and the gang, who could be the only ones who truly believe in Walt when no one else does. The Toontown backstory, in case you don't know, called "Mickey's Swell Idea", goes (in part) like this:
Of course, everyone knows that Mickey's Toontown existed long before Disneyland was built right next door. One happy day in 1952, while Walt Disney was in Toontown visiting his pal Mickey Mouse, his dream for a new park come up in conversation. Mickey knew that whenever Walt got that sparkle in his eye, whatever he was dreaming up was bound to come true. So he was dismayed when Walt confided in him that he was having a difficult time finding a site large enough to accomodate all the wonderful things he had in mind.
"Oh, boy, I've got a swell idea!" Mickey exclaimed as he grabbed Walt by the hand and led him over to the fence that separated Toontown from the human world. "Take a look over this fence," continued Mickey. "There's a fine and dandy parcel of land just on the other side that would be a wonderful place to build Disneyland!" And it was.
As I said, I was hesitant to do this part at first because, as entertaining as it is for live actors to interact with cartoon characters, that would make the biopic too fictitious, and I really don't like it when biopics stray too far from/take too many liberties with the source (e.g., "The Greatest Showman"), but I also felt as though there is no other way. Elsewhere, I was also thinking of delving into "Mr. Banks" territory by having flashbacks to Walt and Roy's childhood in Marceline and then Kansas City, as though Disneyland and Marceline were almost one and the same.
But those are my thoughts overall. What do you think?
And if you should decide to come up with an actor to play Walt, please make sure that he is A) age-appropriate for the time period (i.e., no Tom Hanks, as he is too old for this part, and no Ryan Gosling, as he is too young for this part), and B) American (i.e., no non-Americans, not even Canadians, including, again, Gosling).
