David Gordon Green is set to direct a film about the development ofDisneylandand Walt Disney’s involvement with the project, according to Deadline. This film will be coming straight to Disney+ and will also be produced by Cavalry Media. Cavalry Media and producer Jason Reed reportedly “spent a year developing the pitch before bringing it to Disney.”
This will be the first film thatDavid Gordon Greenis directing forDisney. Throughout his career, he has taken on several genre movies includingPineapple ExpressandYour Highnessalong with dramas likeStronger. Right now, Green is taking on horror as he directedHalloweenand is directing the sequelHalloween KillsandHalloween Ends. Green is also set to direct a new installment inThe Exorcistfranchise.
Evan Spiliotopoulos will pen the script for this new film. Spiliotopoulos has a history of working with Disney as he has also worked on scripts forTinker Bell and the Lost Treasure,Pooh’s Heffalump Movie,The Jungle Book 2, and the live-action remake ofBeauty and the Beast. Spiliotopoulos' recent credits includeSnake EyesandThe Unholy.
Disneyland opened in 1955 and is the only park that Walt Disney was able to supervise himself. While he did have some involvement in the development of Walt Disney World in Florida, he died in 1966, 5 years before the park opened. Disney bought a 160-acre site near Anaheim in 1953 and broke ground in 1954. Walt dreamed up the idea of Disneyland while sitting on a bench and watching his daughters riding a carousel at Griffith Park in California. Other inspirations for Disneyland included Tivoli Gardens in Denmark, Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia, and the New York’s World Fair of 1939.
Since then, Disney Parks have emerged throughout the world including Hong Kong Disneyland, Disneyland Paris, Tokyo Disneyland, and most recently, Shanghai Disneyland. The parks have created many unique and iconic attractions including The Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Space Mountain, and Pirates of the Caribbean. Many of these attractions have also been turned into movies. Most recently,Jungle Cruisestarring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt.
Right now,Disney+has a couple documentary series detailing the real story behind the development of Disneyland and where the parks are today.The Imagineering Storytook viewers behind the scenes of Disneyland, other Disney parks, and Disney attractions.Behind the Attractiongoes into detail on the development of a specific Disney attraction in each episode.
TheDisneyland Movieis the second time Disney has told a story involving its head honcho. 2013’sSaving Mr. Bankstold the story of the long process behind the development ofMary Poppins. While Tom Hanks did play Walt himself, he had more of a supporting role as the movie focused more on P.L. Travers (Emma Thompson) and the reasoning behind her hesitancy to work with Disney.
The Disneyland movie currently has no release date as it is in very early stages of development. Meanwhile, Green’sHalloween Killswill debut on Oct. 15 in theaters and on Peacock. The sequel is coming from Blumhouse, Miramax, and Universal.
