Sci-Fi Film and Television Developments

John Carter of Mars

1/19/11 - The Walt Disney Co. has moved up 3D pic John Carter of Mars to March 9, 2012 and pushed back Tim Burton's 3D stop-motion feature Frankenweenie from that date to Oct. 5, 2012.  John Carter, directed by Andrew Stanton, is based on Edgar Rice Burroughs' Barsoom series, about a Civil War veteran who wakes up to find himself on the planet Mars.  Frankenweenie is based on Burton's 1984 short of the same name. The short was live-action, however, while the upcoming film will employ stop-motion animation.

1/14/10 - Bryan Cranston has joined the cast of Andrew Stanton's John Carter of Mars, which begins filming next week.  Cranston plays a Civil War colonel who comes into conflict with Carter.

1/11/10 - SCI FI Wire reported that Polly Walker will appear in the live-action film adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs' John Carter of Mars series, and she let us in on her preparations for the role of a four-armed giant green Martian "Thark." "I'm going to Thark camp, so I'm going to find out," Walker said. "I only start next week. I can't wait. I've got to learn the whole physicality of it. I suppose they're creating that kind of world, so I'm going to find out, but it should be cool." Walker plays the character Sarkoja in the movie, which marks the live-action debut of director Andrew Stanton. The book is based on Burroughs' series of 11 books in which Civil War veteran John Carter is beamed to Mars called Barsoom by its inhabitants and finds himself caught up in a conflict between the green Martians, called Tharks, and the humanoid red Martians. In the books, Sarkoja is 900 years old. "It's going to be amazing," Walker said. "I'm like a 9-and-a-half-foot green alien. She's sort of the queen bee of the tribe, and she's incredibly tough." Walker expects that part of Thark boot camp will involve learning the technical process that will transform her into Sarkoja. "I think, apart from Thark camp, I have to go be stilt-walking and things like that," Walker said. "So it's a physical process." The British actor may also have to modify her voice to play a Thark. "I don't know what my Thark accent is yet. I'm going to work on that. I think there is going to be an accent there." John Carter of Mars is due in theaters in 2012.

9/30/09 – New cast joins John Carter of Mars, Disney's upcoming live-action version of Edgar Rice Burroughs' fantasy adventure books, with Thomas Haden Church, James Purefoy and Mark Strong joining Taylor Kitsch and Lynn Collins.  The Hollywood Reporter said Church plays Tal Hajus, an ambitious and vicious Thark warrior who is biding his time to be a ruler.  Purefoy plays Kantos Kan, the captain of the Xavarian, the kingdom of Helium's grand warship [from Gods].  Strong is Matai Shang, the ruler of the Thems with godlike status [from Warlord].  Also in the movie are Willem Dafoe, Samantha Morton, Dominic West, and Polly Walker.  If all the characters are in the movie, it means that events and action from the three books will be compressed into one story, Burroughs' first Barsoom book, A Princess of Mars; the second, The Gods of Mars; and the third, The Warlord of Mars.

8/24/09 - English actors Dominic West, Samantha Morton and Polly Walker have joined John Carter of Mars, Disney's adaptation of the Edgar Rice Burroughs book series that Andrew Stanton is directing, according to The Hollywood Reporter.  Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins and Willem Dafoe are already on board the production, which centers on a Civil War veteran (Kitsch) who finds himself mysteriously transported to Mars, where he becomes embroiled with the planet's warring people.  Morton plays Sola, the daughter of Dafoe's Tars Tarkas, who must hide her softer side from her warmongering race.  West plays Sab Than, prince of the Zodangans, who believes he is entitled to rule Mars.  Walker plays Sarkoja, a merciless, tyrannical Thark.  Stanton wrote the screenplay with Mark Andrews. Jim Morris and Colin Wilson are producing Mars, which is eyeing a start early next year.

7/16/09 - Willem Dafoe will play an alien warlord in John Carter of Mars, director Andrew Stanton's first live-action movie.  Dafoe will star alongside Wolverine co-stars Taylor Kitsch and Lynn Collins in the adaptation of the Edgar Rice Burroughs sci-fi fantasy series of books, Variety reported.  Dafoe will play the role of Tars Tarkas, a fierce green Martian warrior, who's unusual among his savage race for his ability to love. Tars develops an alliance with John Carter in the first film, which is based on A Princess of Mars.  He fights battles alongside Carter through the entire series of Edgar Rice Burroughs books, so he will be hanging around for sequels.  Kitsch, who appeared all too briefly in X-Men Origins: Wolverine as the cane-twirling Gambit, will play the title character in Mars, a damaged Civil War vet who finds himself mysteriously transported to the Red Planet.  Collins, who played Wolverine's ill-fated Kayla Silverfox, will play the Princess of Mars. Stanton wrote the script with Mark Andrews. John Carter of Mars is slated for release sometime in 2012.

6/15/09 - X-Men Origins: Wolverine star Taylor Kitsch and Lynn Collins will star in John Carter of Mars, the adaptation of the Edgar Rice Burroughs sci-fi book series that Andrew Stanton is directing for Disney, according to The Hollywood Reporter.  Kitsch will play the title character, Carter, a Civil War veteran who finds himself mysteriously transported to Mars, where his involvement with warring races of the dying planet force him to rediscover his humanity.  Collins is playing Dejah Thoris, the heir to the throne of Mars' Helium kingdom. She appeared with Kitsch in Wolverine as Kayla Silverfox, the love interest of Hugh Jackman's Logan.  Stanton takes on Mars as his first live-action feature. Stanton wrote the screenplay with Mark Andrews.  Thomas Haden Church will join the cast.

4/16/09 - Ain't It Cool News reports that author Michael Chabon has been brought in to do some revisions on Andrew Stanton and Mark Andrews' script for John Carter of Mars, based on Edgar Rice Burroughs' Barsoom books.

1/26/09 - Ain't It Cool News has reported a few more details about writer/director Andrew Stanton's upcoming live-action Disney movie John Carter of Mars.  Based on Stanton's presentation at this past weekend's Santa Barbara Film Festival, the site reported that the movie will be "huge; it is exciting; it scares the crap out of me. It's either going to make me or break me," Stanton said.  Stanton added that the style of the movie is going to be very real, not highly stylized. Since Star Wars and a glut of science fiction and fantasy films have ripped off giant portions of John Carter over the years, the only option Stanton sees is doing a straight, realistic version of the story, as if a National Geographic crew stumbled across a preserved civilization while exploring a cave: Very real, but awe-inspiring, AICN reported.  Stanton wants to avoid 3-D but thinks that Disney might want to push him toward it.  Stanton is on the second draft of a script and will begin casting soon. And John Carter WILL be a Civil War soldier, as in Edgar Rice Burroughs' Barsoom novels, on which the film will be based, the site confirmed.  The film is based on the early-20th-century Barsoom series of books by Burroughs, the California author of the Tarzan series. It centers on a Civil War veteran who finds himself transported to the Red Planet and caught up in various battles and intrigues involving giant green creatures and an alluring princess. John Carter of Mars is slated for release sometime in 2012.

1/13/09 - WALL-E director Andrew Stanton told SCI FI Wire that he is working on a new draft of his proposed John Carter of Mars movie and is aiming for a realistic feel to the live-action movie, his first.  "I'm deep into it," Stanton said. "I'm on my next draft of it. We're in preproduction art-wise, and we're starting to talk to actors. So it's full bore."  Stanton confirmed that Carter, based on the books by Edgar Rice Burroughs, will be live-action. "Yeah, I think that's the only way," he said. "I mean, there are so many creatures and characters that half of it's going to be CG whether you want it to be or not, just to realize some of these images that are in the book. But it will feel real. The whole thing will feel very, very believable."  John Carter of Mars is slated for release sometime in 2012.

9/26/08 – SCI FI Wire reported that Andrew Stanton, who is writing and directing John Carter of Mars, based on Edgar Rice Burroughs' books, and co-writer Mark Andrews will be putting their own spin on the iconic story, and a Pixar manager added that the film will have a unique look as well.  Jim Morris, general manager at Pixar Animation, promised that the movie will not look like previous attempts to adapt the franchise for the screen. "Everything that's been out there has been an attempt to kind of capture this Deco-esque Frank Frazetta vision of John Carter, which I think feels old and stale," he said. "And where Stanton is going--from what we've seen so far--is very different than that. And I think that the people who really love the essence of the books will really dig it, but so will audiences in general."  The film is based on the early-20th-century Barsoom series of books by Burroughs, the California author of the Tarzan series. It centers on a Civil War veteran who finds himself transported to the Red Planet and caught up in various battles and intrigues involving giant green creatures and an alluring princess.  It's been reported that Carter may incorporate live-action elements amid animation. Stanton's WALL*E was the first Pixar production to incorporate live action. Morris declined to discuss the matter.

6/23/08 - Writer/director Andrew Stanton, who is reportedly working with Disney/Pixar to develop a film based on Edgar Rice Burroughs' John Carter of Mars, denied that a decision has been made on whether to shoot the movie as an animated feature, a live-action film or a mix.  Stanton confirmed widespread reports that he is indeed working on the film. "Well, it's pretty much already out there," he said. "I'm definitely writing it ... with Mark Andrews, and that's all we're doing right now, is just writing it."  The film would be based on Burroughs' series of novels, starting in 1911 and ending in 1964, set on a fictionalized version of Mars called "Barsoom" and centering on a Civil War veteran who finds himself transported to the planet, where he gets caught up with princesses and warriors.

03/18/08 - Mark Andrews has reportedly completed a first pass on a screenplay for the first film in the a three part series, to which both Pixar and Disney executives have responded enthusiastically. Both companies are reportedly eager to put the project in the development pipeline soon, with an eye to a 2012 release, if not earlier.

10/18/07 - Jon Favreau will direct Edgar Rice Burroughs' classic fantasy story John Carter of Mars.  The story follows a Civil War veteran who is mysteriously transported to Mars, where he finds himself caught up with aliens and a princess.  This one will take a while before it's in theatres.  Disney/Pixar is gearing up preproduction on its upcoming computer-animated version of Burroughs' John Carter of Mars, the first of a trilogy of movies.  The movie is slated for release sometime before 2012.

AlienAlmanac.com  -  Living Among You Since 2004