Disney’s ‘Saving Mr. Banks’ Receives Enthusiastic Reaction at BFI London Film Festival as Award Season Buzz Get Louder

There's a lot of early award-season buzz about Saving Mr. Banks, Disney's highly anticipated film about how Walt Disney struggled to bring Mary Poppins to the big screen.

The buzz got a little bit louder after the movie premiered at the BFI London Film Festival to enthusiastic applause and great reviews.

The film has its US premiere on November 7 in Los Angeles at the AFI Fest. The film's premiere is taking place at the Chinese Theater, the same location where Mary Poppins premiered in 1964.

Saving Mr. Banks stars Tom Hanks as Walt Disney and Emma Thompson as Mary Poppins author P.L. Travers. Industry insiders are talking Oscar nominations for best supporting actor for Hanks and best actress for Thompson.

But the biggest award-season buzz might be about the film itself. Saving Mr. Banks could be a Best Picture nominee for the Walt Disney Studios - which is the only major studio to never win a Best Picture Oscar.

Walt Disney won 22 Oscars in the course of his lifetime, but they were usually in the documentary and short film categories and were awarded to him because he was head of the studio.

The studio has received Best Picture nominations for animated films including Toy Story 3 and Up, and it saw wins with Miramax Films, but never a win for the Walt Disney Studios.

But here's a bit of movie trivia - Mary Poppins was nominated for Best Picture in 1964 but lost to My Fair Lady, so it would be rather incredible if the movie about bringing Mary Poppins to the big screen won the Best Picture Oscar.

Saving Mr. Banks is directed by John Lee Hancock (The Blind Side), and also stars Colin Farrell, Paul Giamatti, and Jason Schwartzman. It opens in limited release on December 13 and will open nationwide on December 20.

Story by Traci C., Source