BURBANK, Calif. – November 4, 2013 – To
celebrate the release of Saving Mr. Banks and
the upcoming 50th anniversary of Mary
Poppins, D23: The Official Disney Fan Club has dedicated the entire
winter issue of its flagship magazine, Disney twenty-three, to our beloved nanny.
The publication, available exclusively to Gold Members of D23, includes
exclusive interviews with Saving Mr. Banks
stars Tom Hanks, Emma Thompson, and Bradley Whitford, as well as director John
Lee Hancock. It takes readers behind the scenes of the making of this
spectacular new film, which opens this Christmas and looks at the creation of
Disney's Mary Poppins and
the sometimes combative but respectful relationship between the
character's creator, P.L. Travers (Thompson), and Walt Disney (Hanks).
Disney
twenty-three's Winter issue also
offers a look inside the fascinating life of P.L. Travers, with a personal
reminiscence by her friend, author Brian Sibley, whom she once told, "I
don't feel for a moment that I invented her. I feel visited by
her." And original film composer Richard M. Sherman, visual consultant
Tony Walton, and choreographers Marc Beaux and Dee Dee Wood offer exclusive
insight into the creation of the 1964 Disney classic, which will officially
celebrate its 50th anniversary next August.
Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved
Also included in the Winter issue of Disney twenty-three:
-
A first-person account of the
creation of the stage musical Mary Poppins
from Disney Theatrical Productions president Thomas Schumacher -
"Elements of Fun,"
looking at 50 years of unique "Mary merchandise" -
An in-depth look at the film's
groundbreaking special effects -
A walk down the red carpet for the Mary Poppins premiere at Grauman's
Chinese Theatre
All D23 Members are invited to visit
www.D23.com,
where the fan club is kicking off its year-long celebration of Mary Poppins' 50th anniversary with
a unique video reconstruction of the Mary
Poppins world premiere, containing five minutes of never-before-released
material. Although the original telecast of the event appears to have been lost
forever, this 22-minute segment includes audio from the premiere's two
separate interview locations, combined with all the surviving color film and
black-and-white newsreel footage-re-creating the excitement and glamour
of this stellar premiere at Grauman's Chinese Theatre on August 27, 1964.
Other features planned for D23.com's online celebration include:
-
Extensive Mary Poppins galleries, including a look at the film's
breathtaking matte paintings. -
An interactive map of the Walt
Disney Studios with photo locations from Saving
Mr. Banks -
Rarely heard audio files from the
making of Mary Poppins - An in-depth Mary Poppins production timeline
-
A look at the sodium
screen/traveling matte process, which gave the film its unique visual look - An exclusive interview with Mary Poppins visual consultant Tony Walton
Also in the Winter issue, D23 Gold Members will receive a
reproduction of the ticket mailed to invitees for the Mary Poppins premiere at Grauman's
Chinese Theatre.
Disney twenty-three, which is delivered directly to
fans' doorsteps, is offered exclusively to D23 Gold Members as a benefit
of their membership.
About D23
The name
"D23" pays homage to the exciting journey that began in 1923 when
Walt Disney opened his fledgling studio in Hollywood. D23 is the first official
club for fans in Disney's nearly 90-year history. D23 gives its
members a greater connection to the entire world of Disney by placing them in
the middle of the magic through its quarterly publication Disney twenty-three; a rich website at D23.com with members-only content;
member-exclusive discounts and special events for D23 Members throughout the
year.
Fans can join D23 at Gold, Silver, and
Free Membership levels at D23.com and
at www.DisneyStore.com/D23. To keep up with all the latest D23 news
and events, follow us @DisneyD23 on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube.