Walt Before Mickey

The film opens with a reflective look at how Walt's early curiosity blossoms into a lifelong passion for drawing and storytelling. A Kansas City living room becomes the cradle of a future creator as imagination begins to shape his ambitions.

Walt moves in with his older brother Roy and Roy's girlfriend Edna, turning sketches into a lifeline during uncertain times. Roy's tuberculosis and the crowded apartment add pressure as Walt fights to prove himself and keep drawing alive.

Walt lands a job as an artist at Pesmen-Rubin Commercial Art Studio, where his talent begins to find form under real-world deadlines. There, he crosses paths with Ub Iwerks and a partnership starts to take shape beyond mere friendship.

Finances falter and the studio contracts tighten, forcing Walt and Ub to strike out on their own. They establish Iwerks-Disney Commercial Artists in a weathered barn, chasing independence even as debts pile up.

Friz Freleng and Rudy Ising join the fledgling team as they pitch Laugh-O-Grams to local theaters. The experiments sparkle with potential, but the venture struggles to secure steady cash flow and cover rent.

A stray mouse appears as an unlikely mentor, reminding Walt that small ideas can ignite great creativity. The symbol sustains him through the studio's fragile days and crowded spaces.

Walt reaches out to Margaret Winkler in New York, pitching a live-action–animated Alice series that promises broader distribution and financial backing. Winkler's interest offers a potential lifeline amid the Laugh-O-Grams' instability.

The Laugh-O-Grams operation collapses under mounting debts, and the studio declares bankruptcy. With the dream at risk, Walt moves to Los Angeles to regroup and finish the Alice project with Roy's support.

Walt completes the Alice project and, backed by Roy, establishes Disney Brothers Studio. Ub Iwerks returns, a lean new crew forms, and the drive to create with a sense of ownership grows stronger.

Lillian Bounds is hired as an ink artist and soon becomes Walt's wife in 1925, intertwining personal life with the studio's ambitions. Roy also marries Edna, anchoring the Disney family at the heart of the enterprise.

The Alice Comedies find distribution through Mintz, but ownership terms grow contentious as Mintz and distributors exert control. Tensions rise over who truly owns the characters and the work being produced.

Mintz invites the team to join his studio, but Walt, Lillian, Ub, and the others fear surrendering ownership of their creations. Ub remains steadfast, while the rest weigh their options, and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit shorts become the catalyst to strike out on their own.

On a return train to Los Angeles, Walt conceives a character he can truly own—a small, clever mouse that will become a symbol of a new era. The idea marks a turning point in ownership, storytelling, and studio independence.

The first public screening of Mickey's Plane Crazy in 1928 earns thunderous applause and signals a revolution in animation. The moment cements Walt and his team as a formidable new force in the industry.

The closing montage honors the people who built the studio culture—Roy, Ub, Friz Freleng, Rudy Ising, and the broader ensemble—whose collaboration transformed a crumbling barn into a lasting legacy. The film celebrates resilience, partnerships, and the courage to own one's work.