Saving Mr. Banks is an upcoming biographical drama film directed by John Lee Hancock from a screenplay by Kelly Marcel. Centered on the production of the 1964 Walt Disney Studios film, Mary Poppins, the film stars Emma Thompson and Tom Hanks with supporting roles from Paul Giamatti, Jason Schwartzman, Bradley Whitford, and Colin Farrell. Taking its title from the source character of the same name, the film depicts author P. L. Travers (Thompson) and her two-week briefing in Los Angeles as she is persuaded by filmmaker Walt Disney (Hanks), in his attempts to obtain the screen rights to her eponymous novel. Filming started on September 19, 2012. Walt Disney Pictures will produce and release the film theatrically in the United States on December 13, 2013 in select cities and in wide release a week later on December 20. The film will be produced by Alison Owen, Ian Collie, Philip Steuer, Christine Langan, Troy Lum, Andrew Mason and Paul Trijbits.