Since directing The Blind Side, John Lee Hancock has signed on for a number of projects but as of yet none of them have actually gotten started. In those three years since the Oscar-winning football drama arrived in theaters Hancock has signed on for Electric Boy Genius (about the inventor of a electronic glove that translates sign language), Liar's Poker (based on Michael Lewis' book), and, most recently, The Partner (a John Grisham adaptation). It's unclear which of those films he will be tackling first, but now a new competitor has entered the arena.
According to Deadline, Hancock is now in talks to direct Saving Mr. Banks, a film about the making of Mary Poppins. The story sees Walt Disney and author P.L. Travers caught in a struggle as Disney tries to convince her to sell his studio the rights to her book so that he can make a film. The end result was that Travers hated the film - particularly the animated segments - and for the rest of her life refused to sell the rights to any of her other books to Disney. As reported earlier this month, the studio is looking at Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep for the two lead roles. Walt Disney Studios is currently negotiating for the script, which was written by Kelly Marcel and was featured on the Black List, the list of the most popular unproduced screenplays in a given year.
Should Disney secure the script their plan is to start production on the film this year.
