" As Dreamers Do " and " Walt Before Mickey " , Two New Movies About Walt Disney Early Years Coming Soon at a Theatre Near You !

Guess what? After "Saving Mr Banks", there is not less than TWO new movies about Walt Disney's life coming soon, and they're called "As Dreamers Do" and "Walt Before Mickey"! You didn't see these ones coming, did you? Me, too, but "As Dreamers Do" is now ready for a release this spring and "Walt Before Mickey"is now in the middle of production and will have its premiere this summer! 

A trailer and production shots were released for "As Dreamers Do" - which will explore the early years of life, including during World War 1 - and it looks pretty good. Olan Rogers - picture below - is playing Walt Disney and Ryan Dunlap, Roy Disney.

As for "Walt Before Mickey" it stars Thomas Ian Nicholas (American Pie) as Walt, Jon Heder (Napoleon Dynamite) as his brother Roy, Disney alum David Henrie as an animator, and Jodie Sweetin (Full House) as Charlotte Disney. 

The movie is directed by Khoa Le, and based on a book by Timothy S. Susaninthat. Walt Before Mickey is set from 1919 to 1928, so it chronicles the life of Walt Disney up to the point Mickey Mouse was introduced to the world. 

Below, A young Walt Disney at school...

...and here Jon Heder as a young Roy Disney.

Here's a description of the book that the film is based on:

For ten years before the creation of Mickey Mouse, Walt Disney struggled with, failed at, and eventually mastered the art and business of animation. Most biographies of his career begin in 1928, when Steamboat Willie was released. That first Disney Studio cartoon with synchronized sound made its main character–Mickey Mouse-an icon for generations.

But Steamboat Willie was neither Disney’s first cartoon nor Mickey Mouse’s first appearance. Prior to this groundbreaking achievement, Walt Disney worked in a variety of venues and studios, refining what would become known as the Disney style. In Walt Before Mickey, 1919-1928, Timothy Susanin creates a portrait of the artist from age seventeen to the cusp of his international renown.

After serving in the Red Cross in France after World War I, Walt Disney worked for advertising and commercial art in Kansas City. Walt used these experiences to create four studios-Kaycee Studios, Laugh-O-gram Films, Disney Brothers Studio, and Walt Disney Studio. 

Using company documents, private correspondence between Walt and his brother Roy, contemporary newspaper accounts, and new interviews with Disney’s associates, Susanin traces Disney’s path. The author shows Disney to be a complicated, resourceful man, especially during his early career. Walt Before Mickey, a critical biography of a man at a crucial juncture, provides the “missing decade” that started Walt Disney’s career and gave him the skills to become a name known worldwide. 

More production shots...

I don't think we can expect something as good as Saving Mr Banks was, mainly because these two movies don't have the same kind of production or the same class of actors but, hey, you never know, sometime when they are directed with "spirit" independent movies can be surprising. And by the way, you can even already pre-order the Dvd of "Walt Before Mickey" for $20 if you wish, you'll find the offer on the movie Facebook page HERE.