Stolen Kingdom
Stolen Kingdom
This film delves into the history of mischief, scandal and theft at Walt Disney World, ultimately leading to the theft of an animatronic valued at nearly half a million dollars. It features key figures from the park's underground community, each sharing their unique stories. As the narrative unfolds, early pranks and antics are shown to have inspired more recent crimes, culminating in a true crime mystery. What begins as a tale of friendship and passion ends with one lingering question: Who stole Buzzy?
Interview with Director Joshua Bailey
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I've grown up my entire life fascinated by filmmaking AND Disney so when this story began to unfold around me, I had to set out to make this my first feature film.
Imagine I'm a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
This film gives you a glimpse into a world that is unknown to so many, but at the same time familiar to everyone. Disney is such an important part of American pop-culture, and this film presents it in way that is hardly ever seen.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
I think the themes of this film are delivered in a less obvious way than some films, but the themes of friendship, feeling ownership over something that isn't yours, "ruining the magic" of this perfect company from our childhood, are very strong.How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
The film start out as a Disney blackmarket documentary and evolved as the crimes in the film happened. Also, as we began to investigate some of the crimes we didn't find as many people willing to speak about the black market as we had hoped.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
We've received some very positive feedback mentioning how it's a fascinating view into a subculture that most viewers were not aware of.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
I think I've been surprised at how positive the feedback has been considering the short comings behind the scenes, and the fact that this is my first film project ever.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I would love to just get this film out there, and share the story with everyone. I think it's taboo to make a film about this sort of thing but it's a fun and interesting story that deserves to be shared widely.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
We're currently looking for distributors to come onto the project
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
I would like for this film to challenge what people think is and isn't allowed to be made. I think people are scared of certain topics but nothing is off limit when it comes to art.
Stolen Kingdom
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Are you allowed to make a film about something nefarious that happened at a place like Disney World?
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Jake Williams is currently in production on his second feature documentary film with Bright Sun Films, and Joshua Bailey and Slater Wayne are developing multiple documentary projects for White Lake Productions.
Interview: February 2024
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
Stolen Kingdom
Director
Joshua Bailey
Producer
Slater Wayne
About the director and producer:
JOSHUA BAILEY Director Joshua Bailey was born in Tampa, Florida.As a child, he dreamed of becoming a filmmaker after being captivated by the works of Steven Spielberg. At 18, he relocated to Orlando, Florida to study film at Valencia College before departing the program prior to graduation. After working at Orlando’s theme parks for a time (including Walt Disney World), Joshua was inspired to tell the story behind “Stolen Kingdom,” his directorial debut.
MATTHEW SERRANO is a first-generation Salvadorian American filmmaker based in Los Angeles. From a young age, Matthew knew he wanted to be a storyteller, but when his 8th-grade film class took a field trip to Universal Studios, Matthew realized what he really wanted to do was make movies. Matthew first made a name for himself by making documentaries about theme parks and posting them on YouTube. In 2020, he released his documentary "Live from the Space Stage: A HALYX Story" on the Peabody-nominated YouTube channel Defunctland. Matthew was also a part of season 2 of the Mitú x Walmart Filmmaker Mentorship Program where he was granted $50k to direct his short film, "Pick One". Matthew is also a proud filmmaking mentor at Youth Cinema Project where he teaches filmmaking to children of all grade levels across Los Angeles.
About the Producer
SLATER WAYNE is known for The Man Behind the Camera, Stolen Kingdom (2025) and Jackass Shark Week (2021).
Looking for distributors, buyers, journalists
Twitter: @BrightSunFilms
@stolenkingdomfilm
Hashtags used
#stolenkingdom #stolenkingdomfilm
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month?
Big Sky February 16th
Slamdance February 23rd and 24th