Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Leslie Iwerks’ ‘Disneyland Handcrafted’ Streams Jan. 22 After Limited Run

Built from silent 65mm archives with period-accurate audio, the film immerses viewers in Disneyland’s 1954–55 construction.

Overview

  • The feature-length documentary arrives on Disney+ and Disney’s official YouTube channel on January 22 following select theatrical screenings.
  • Iwerks assembled the film from roughly 100 hours of previously unseen construction footage discovered within about 200 hours of newly scanned archives.
  • The reels were shot without sound, so Skywalker Sound led an extensive Foley and mix process under Bonnie Wild to recreate authentic 1950s worksite audio.
  • Composer Cyrus Reynolds provides a score designed to blend with the mechanical rhythms of the build rather than overpower the archival imagery.
  • The film eschews talking-head interviews in favor of first-person archival audio, highlighting hands-on craftsmanship as well as risky pre-OSHA practices captured on camera.