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Tom Hanks to Play Walt Disney In New Movie — See the Comparison

Nov. 8, 2012 7:04am Mike Opelka

Credit: Getty Images

Unless it is for a movie role, Tom Hanks rarely changes his look. That fact is exactly why Hollywood has been buzzing since Hanks was recently spotted sporting a little upper lip growth.

On Wednesday we learned the reason for the ‘stache. Hanks is starring as Walt Disney in a new movie called “Saving Mr. Banks.” The film, which started shooting inside Disneyland on Tuesday, is actually a movie about a movie. The Examiner reports:

“Saving Mr. Banks” traces the Walt’s prolonged efforts to gain the rights to adapt “Mary Poppins” from author P.L. Travers. The movie highlights their 1961 head-bumping collaboration during the film’s pre-production.

Joining Hanks will be a few other big names: Emma Thompson, Colin Farrell, Paul Giamatti, Bradley Whitford and Jason Schwartzman.

The news about the film leaked when Disneyland visitors spotted Hanks and the crew shooting inside the theme park. Photos were snapped and tweeted. Thanks to a very enthusiastic army of information-hungry Disney fans, the photos and news about the film went viral on the web.

Take a look at Hanks in full Walt Disney costume and make up. Does he look the part?

Image: Melissa Farley

If you need a reminder of what the real Walt Disney looked like. Here’s a 1954 press photo of Walt when he announced plans to build Disneyland.

Image: Disneyland

The Orange County Register has more on how the movie is working through the logistics of filming at such a high profile place:

Disneyland is blocking off sections of the park on and off Tuesday and Wednesday during the recording. Signs in front of the entrance and around the park warn that some areas will be closed for part of the days.

On Tuesday morning, most of the hub area in front of the castle initially was roped off with signs stating, “No Flash Photography Please.” Disneyland employees told visitors that the area was closed for the “Saving Mr. Banks” movie.

Because the plot is based in 1961, crews couldn’t risk having visitors in modern clothing in the background. So, Disneyland employees were cast as extras in period costumes to act as Disneyland guests. Around 11:30 a.m., a line of extras in below-the-knee skirts, flip hairdos, Keds and plaid pants filed in through the castle’s gates to prepare for a scene in Fantasyland.

Shortly after, employees temporarily cleared out the Fantasyland rides behind the castle for a scene captured on and around the King Arthur Carrousel. Behind the ropes, two director’s chairs with the names “Walt” and “Pamela” on them sat in front of Mr. Toad’s Wild ride.

Period carts, including a popcorn stand with a 5 cents sign and a flower merchant, were brought in.

Tom Hanks as Walt Disney? Thumps up or down?

“Saving Mr. Banks” is slated for a Christmas release next year.

In CONTROL, Glenn Beck presents a passionate, fact-based case for guns that reveals why gun control isn’t really about controlling guns at all; it’s about controlling us. Find out more HERE.

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Comments (57)

U-R-Busted
Posted on November 8, 2012 at 9:57am
If Hanks pull’s it off (which I very seriously doubt) it would be worthy of any award I can imagine. However, that being said, my guess would be that this will be some sort of demonetization of Dear Mr. Disney and he will probably be portrayed as some sort of pedophile or something. In that case I do hope that NO ONE goes to see it!!!
I am old enough to remember ALL of the original Disney shows and movies and the basic theme of all of his work. Now, because he was such a success at what he did there are mirids of people that want to cut down his image to modern day slime.
I can assure you that many of the movies made since his day would have never been approved for production in the first place!!!

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- IndyGuy
  Posted on November 9, 2012 at 10:09am
  Tom Hanks…I knew Walt Disney,Walt Disney was a friend of mine and you sir are NO Walt Disney…
  
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JerseyBatman
Posted on November 8, 2012 at 9:48am
I don’t go to the movies anymore so It don’t matter to me, but I bet they don’t make Walt look good.

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- Pat Magroin
  Posted on November 8, 2012 at 5:59pm
  I don’t think Mr. Disney lived to be as old as Tom looks these days.
  
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jrcess
Posted on November 8, 2012 at 9:44am
Screw Tommy Hanks, I will never watch any of his ********* again.

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- phineas
  Posted on November 9, 2012 at 7:53am
  ditto
  
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RIGS
Posted on November 8, 2012 at 9:38am
He should play GOOFY.

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MrKnowItAll
Posted on November 8, 2012 at 9:27am
Tom Hanks should play a Gay Hitler.

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- Kaoscontrol
  Posted on November 8, 2012 at 1:00pm
  Was Hitler straight?
  
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Gregory_Adams
Posted on November 8, 2012 at 9:15am
Interesting that Glenn tried to start up Dreamworks, and a Disney movie appears.

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Rent A Yenta
Posted on November 8, 2012 at 9:11am
Tom Hanks as Walt Disney? Lindsey Lohan as Elizabeth Taylor? Both are rolling in their graves. The land of “make-believe” (Hollywood) has lost it’s collective mind.

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- U-R-Busted
  Posted on November 8, 2012 at 9:42am
  If Hanks pull’s it off (which I very seriously doubt) it would be worthy of any award I can imagine. However, that being said, my guess would be that this will be some sort of demonetization of Dear Mr. Disney and he will probably be portrayed as some sort of pedophile or something. In that case I do hope that NO ONE goes to see it!!!
  I am old enough to remember ALL of the original Disney shows and movies and the basic theme of all of his work. Now, because he was such a success at what he did there are mirids of people that want to cut down his image to modern day slime.
  I can assure you that many of the movies made since his day would have never been approved for production in the first place!!!
  
  Report this comment
- Kate364
  Posted on November 8, 2012 at 12:05pm
  and Jane Fonda as Nancy Reagan!
  
  Report this comment
Proverbs17-12NLT
Posted on November 8, 2012 at 9:05am
Boycott Hanks and all democrat loving Hollywood , Musician types. They are addicted to the millions in their bank accounts, hit them where it hurts.

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piper60
Posted on November 8, 2012 at 8:59am
I don’t like Tom’s politics, but love his acting. Mary Poppins was the first movie that I saw at a movie theatre. I was 5 at the time. It holds a special place in my heart, even though I managed to fall asleep towards the end. What can I say? I was born a natural couch potato.

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thom1
Posted on November 8, 2012 at 8:58am
I thought Walt Disney was straight?

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hgaut
Posted on November 8, 2012 at 8:53am
I understand everyone’s sentiments. I hate watching movies with Whoopie and Tim Cruise is a big turn off for me too. While these people have freedom of speech sometimes it’s not neccessary to speak. I don’t know about Tom as Walt. I’m sure a lot of my fellow cast members will want to see the movie. I have mixed feelings. I’ll wait til it gets to TV even though I like Emma Thompson and Colin Ferrell. There’s a great short clip on Walt at Hollywood Studios about how he built the Magic Kingdom. Yeah he built it!

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RDMercer
Posted on November 8, 2012 at 8:52am
I made the mistake of going to see Cloud Atlas this past weekend which was basically Liberal propaganda trash. It was the first movie in over 20 years I almost walked out on because it was completely inane. I feel dirty now but learned NOT to spend money on Hanks anymore.

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jcldwl
Posted on November 8, 2012 at 8:47am
I don’t care one bit about anything Hollywood is doing and will never again give them a dime of my money. They are Satan’s puppets.

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Mr.Fitnah
Posted on November 8, 2012 at 8:45am
I have been trolled politically one time to many to ever watch him again.
He and Morgan Freeman are on the “Will not watch list.”

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GuruMeditation
Posted on November 8, 2012 at 8:45am
Hanks, your a fkn moron.

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TheVolleyballGod
Posted on November 8, 2012 at 8:37am
Lets hope the fat slob sheds at least 40lbs for the role

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Singinjeannie
Posted on November 8, 2012 at 8:34am
Not sure how Hollywood thinks the average Joe will have expendable income to spend on movies, DVDs or going to the theatre. All our money will be going to survivie. Gasoline will skyrocket even higher; huge sums toward medical insurance or the subsequent tax; higher real estate taxes to help the teachers cover their cost of increased insurance (estimated $35 million increase in PA alone) ouch. Increased price of energy all the way around due to the coal industry being destroyed and far fewer plants as they are being closed down by the EPA in record numbers… I’ll be very lucky to keep my kids in clothing, keep a roof over my head and feed my family. We are so screwed.

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- DADDYWOREAWHITEHAT
  Posted on November 8, 2012 at 8:48am
  Did you see the stock market yesterday? My 401k had already gone to a 200.5k and now I think it’s gone to a 100.25k. We will all we working till we drop dead with never a chance to spend some down time traveling America & getting to see parts of USA we didn’t grow up in
  
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Duckhead
Posted on November 8, 2012 at 8:21am
F tom hanks.

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WCJ
Posted on November 8, 2012 at 8:14am
Yes, It is definitely time to boycott Hollywood.

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- rickc34
  Posted on November 8, 2012 at 8:25am
  Tom who? Isn’t he that…no that was someone else. Don’t know him but he looks like a loser.
  
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kobbookie
Posted on November 8, 2012 at 7:56am
It’s an insult for Hanks to portray Disney. No thanks Hanks. Support conservative entertainers only. Ditch the rest. Use your wallet to vote. They spend thousands to support a president who takes food off our table with higher prices for gas, food and healthcare and poison our children’s minds.

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founderschild
Posted on November 8, 2012 at 7:52am
I guess Hollywood will rewrite history again and depict Wat Disney as a communist.

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- TelepromoterNChief
  Posted on November 8, 2012 at 8:45am
  There ARE Nazi and other government propaganda Disney animated shorts found on YouTube.
  
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Gonzo
Posted on November 8, 2012 at 7:49am
Not another dime from me ever again Tom.

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- progressiveslayer
  Posted on November 8, 2012 at 7:55am
  Same here those pigs can rot because we’ll be paying a hell of a lot more in taxes with the candyass Boenher in congress.
  
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- Gonzo
  Posted on November 8, 2012 at 8:14am
  Slayer, I’m to the point that I think Boehner and the House should be a rubber stamp for Obama. These people wanted Obama, give America his policies. Give him whatever he wants and let chaos ensue. Let the system crash, it’s going to anyway. Almost like a football team who finds themselves defending their own goal line late in the game. Let them score and get the ball back. Then we rebuild it. America as we knew it is gone, face it.
  
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- DADDYWOREAWHITEHAT
  Posted on November 8, 2012 at 8:44am
  Tom hanks is big supporter of the thief N chief so I’ll be skipping this movie in all it’s forms. That includes turning the channel if it comes on TV.
  
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- progressiveslayer
  Posted on November 8, 2012 at 8:46am
  I feel the same way G it’s going to crash and burn anyway so let’s get on with it.
  These candyasses who never worked a day in their worthless lives are in for a rude awakening.
  I’m actually looking forward to it because it’ll be survival of the fittest,the way it should be.
  
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- Harley2002
  Posted on November 8, 2012 at 11:18am
  Gonzo
  
  I am with you. I tried my hardest to get Omuslim out. He won that is the bottom line. So screw it. Let the fools have everything and watch the country crash and burn. Let’s see who will pay for the leaches free ride when the tax base is gone from companies leaving the US. People losing jobs etc. I am just stocking up on survival necessities. When Oego tries to disarm us with that UN treaty it will get nasty. His freakin ego is so big he thinks all will roll over for him. He is nuts.
  
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- Damocles
  Posted on November 8, 2012 at 1:14pm
  Amen Gonzo, Amen!
  
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TheMajority
Posted on November 8, 2012 at 7:29am
Walt Disney once got fired from a journalistic position for “not having enough imagination”, but the “Individual” Walt Disney proved them wrong. I doubt that act of Individualism will make the movie, and I have no interest in hollywoods version of a great Individual. You don’t “make it” like hanks in hollywood, unless your as collectivist as one could get—and earn the big pay check while surrendering your own Nations values—to communism.

The people who could afford to go see a movie, should know better. I hope the movie is a flop.

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Gary_K
Posted on November 8, 2012 at 7:22am
I used to like hanks, that is till he opened his mouth and let us know what and how he thinks.

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- progressiveslayer
  Posted on November 8, 2012 at 7:54am
  Same here Gary I used to like Hanks but I’ve decided to stop giving my money to Hollywood because 99.9% of those freaks are communists.
  
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- MaleneSBrown
  Posted on November 8, 2012 at 8:04am
  Me too Gary. He’s a wonderful actor, but now it’s hard to get past the things he has said. I’ll still watch the Polar Express this Christmas with my kids though. He did a great job with that. I really do wish he kept his mouth shut though.
  
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unsafe
Posted on November 8, 2012 at 7:17am
Boycott all of there movies run them out of bussiness, show them who pays for there moves, its not the bottom feeders.A Boycott of Hollywood

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- Gary_K
  Posted on November 8, 2012 at 7:25am
  I do believe it is high time we vote with our money. I will not support any socialist leaning business if I can avoid it.
  
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- Gonzo
  Posted on November 8, 2012 at 8:16am
  The libs will keep them running for a while. Movie theaters accept EBT cards.
  
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