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The Walt Disney Company is near a deal to acquire Saving Mr. Banks, the Kelly Marcel-scripted saga of how Walt Disney persuaded Australian author P.L. Travers to sell him the rights to make a film out of Mary Poppins. That courtship took 14 years. Disney seems a natural place for the script, considering the studio owns many rights from making the 1964 classic film that starred Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke and David Tomlinson, the latter of whom played Mr. Banks in the film. Also, what studio is better equipped to make its founder, Walt Disney, a major character in a feature film?

The heart of this script comes from how close Travers felt to her story of a nanny with magical powers. Mary Poppins was highly personal, and reflected hardships in her own life and her relationship with her father, who died when she was 7. Disney finally persuaded her to let him make the film, but she was prickly all the way to the end. While Mary Poppins was lauded immediately, she hated the animated sequences in the film so much that she refused to sell any of her other works to Disney. The script made the 2011 Black List, and is set up with producer Alison Owen at Ruby Films. Disney has been working on this for awhile, and the expectation is that it will be star cast. There have been rumors of the script being considered by Tom Hanks (for Disney) and Meryl Streep (for Travers). All this will unfold once the deal closes. The scribe’s repped by WME and Casarotto in the UK.

I actually think it would be more interesting to see a non-Disney studio make a film about or with Walt Disney.

John Lee Hancock (Blindside) is reportedly in talks to direct Saving Mr. Banks, a feature film based on the true story of how Mary Poppins came to be a Walt Disney classic. Disney is in the process of acquiring the Kelly Marcel Black List script retelling the story of the 14-year-long courtship of Australian author, P.L. Travers by Walt Disney himself in order to secure the film rights to Mary Poppins. No company would be a better fit than Disney, who owns the rights to the 1964 classic starring Julie Andrews, Dick Van Dyke and David Tomlinson, as Mr. Banks. Hit the jump for more on the project, including who might be stepping into Walt Disney’s shoes.

Deadline is reporting that Tom Hanks has been mentioned as a person of interest to play Disney. Recent Oscar-winner, Meryl Streep is another name being thrown around for Travers, the author of Mary Poppins who had extremely close personal ties to her work. Travers was reportedly displeased with the adaptation of her work (particularly the animated sequences) and even more put out at the treatment of her property at the hands of Disney. While the film was an immediate success (and one of my personal childhood favorites), Travers closed the door on any future re-imaginings. It will be interesting to see what kind of picture the creative team paints of Disney the man, especially since Disney the company looks like it will be handling the project. If Hanock does get the job, the Mouse House will have to wait just a bit, even though they’re anxious to get the film into production this year. Hancock’s next project looks to be The Partner, based on the John Grisham novel.

it appears Tom Hanks may be the one to portray the legend onscreen. While we previously heard he was a possibility, Variety now reports that Hanks is officially in talks alongside Emma Thompson to star in the “making-of Mary Poppins” film Saving Mr. Banks. The pic tells the true story of Disney’s 14-year courtship of Australian author P.L. Travers for the rights to the Mary Poppins character. Thompson is negotiating to play Travers, who was ultimately displeased with the 1964 feature film adaptation (especially the animated sequences) and even more upset with the way the property was treated by Disney. Ironically, Disney is the studio that’s putting Saving Mr. Banks together. Hit the jump for more.

Uh, sounds very interesting... but Tom Hanks to play W. Disney??? I don;t see that happening.

Yea, I'm with ya there. The only thing is...who would know more about what exactly went on with the making of Mary Poppins than the Disney studio? And why would anyone other than Disney (and some hard, hardcore Mary Poppins fans who somehow turned into directors and thought they could make this without Disney) be the ones who even want to make this movie?

Q: There's a movie in the works, "Saving Mr. Banks," about the making of "Mary Poppins," starring Tom Hanks as Walt Disney. What do you think of that casting?

Julie Andrews: I had not heard that. How fascinating. Yes, I can see that that would be great. I certainly was in the thick of it. It’ll be interesting to see what they tell and how they tell it. Disney had that little twinkle in his eye, and he was hugely smart and a little fatherly in some ways. I think Hanks would be wonderful in that.

Q: I'd heard that the book's author, P.L. Travers, could be quite difficult.

Julie Andrews: She called me about three days after I had given birth to my daughter. And suddenly in the hospital they said, "P.L. Travers is on the line." I got on the line and she said, "Well, talk to me." I said "Well, uh, I’m feeling a little weary right now. I had a baby three days ago." She said, “Well, you’re far too pretty, you’ve got the nose for it, but you’re far too pretty. We ended up fairly friendly, and we exchanged letters for a little bit while the film was going on. But I do believe she thought she could tell Mr. Disney exactly what needed to be done, and he, I believe, put her very kindly and lovingly in her place.