Ready to enter the “Stolen Kingdom?”
The documentary, announced back in 2022, chronicles the secretive world of urban explorers who chart the Disney theme parks and, in particular, the mystifying theft of a giant animatronic (Buzzy) from an abandoned EPCOT attraction (Cranium Command). And it’s about to make its world premiere at the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival on Feb. 16, followed by a screening at Slamdance on Feb. 23. And now we can exclusively debut the first trailer, which you can watch below.
The new documentary was produced by White Lake Productions and Bright Sun Films, alongside Slater Wayne, Sam Fraser, Brandon Pickering and directed by Joshua Bailey (who also produced). Executive producers are Jake Williams, Josh Koopman and Sammie Astaneh. The film was written by Bailey and Matthew Serrano, a regular contributor to the incredible Defunctland YouTube channel.
According to the official release, the doc “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?”
As one of the interviewees (How Bowers of the Retro WDW Podcast and Lake Buena Vista Historical Society) states in the trailer, if Buzzy really was stolen, it was “the ‘Ocean’s Eleven’ of Walt Disney World.”
The 22nd Big Sky Documentary Film Festival takes place in Missoula, Montana from February 14th to 23rd. “Stolen Kingdom” will screen at 8:00 PM on Sunday, February 16th at the historic Wilma Theatre. The 31st Slamdance Film Festival takes place in Los Angeles, California, and runs from February 20th to 26th. “Stolen Kingdom” will screen at 7:45 PM on Sunday, February 23rd (which is now sold out) and 4:00 PM on Monday, February 24th at the Quixote West Hollywood Studios.
