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It looks like John Carter of Mars film will combine several books
The cast is filling out for 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 casting reveals a bit about the movie's plot, which would appear to combine elements of Burroughs' first Barsoom book, A Princess of Mars; the second, The Gods of Mars; and the third, The Warlord of Mars.
The new additions, reported in The Hollywood Reporter, have us a little less skeptical about the movie, which marks the live-action debut of Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo, WALL-E) as a director and was originally intended to be Pixar's first live-action movie.
Here's how the Reporter played it:
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.
As for the actors themselves, we loved Church in Sideways and even as Sandman in Sam Raimi's otherwise misbegotten Spider-Man 3, although as a giant four-armed green Barsoom warrior, Church may be playing more of a voice-over role.
Purefoy impressed in HBO's Rome as Mark Antony. Purefoy's fellow Brit Strong is less well known but is expected to make an impression in the upcoming Kick-Ass.
The new cast members are sure to bolster the lightweight Kitsch (the Friday Night Lights star who had a brief turn as Gambit in X-Men Origins: Wolverine) and Collins (Wolverine's Silver Fox).
By DG at 1:52 PM ON 09/30/09
Wow...this sounds horrible. No offense to fans of these stories but this will bomb. Church as a leading man??? No thanks.
By AD at 2:09 PM ON 09/30/09
Church's character isn't the leading man. He's a martian character that interacts with John Carter--the lead here. Looking forward to this if Andrew Stanton steps out of the kids movie genre but brings his subtle but effective direction. But I didn't get the reference in the article "was originally intended to be Pixar's first live-action movie". So it's no longer a Pixar movie?
By Omen at 4:02 PM ON 09/30/09
We all know that films are rarely as good as the books.
So it starts with the odds against it.
So throw the dice & flip the cards.
By gorehound696 at 5:08 PM ON 09/30/09
what did you folks expect anyways.I have been a fan of these books since the mid-60's and own all of them.They were never meant to be made by DISNEY of all companies.We will be lucky to get a violent movie like the books are.and the skimpy-like clothing they wear in the books you can kiss that one goodbye too.
and now instead of one book they wioll take 3 books to make a movie.
DISNEY SUCKS !!!!
I have no hope to see the John Carter I always wanted to.
By batman59 at 5:36 PM ON 09/30/09
They do know that everyone is naked in the books right?
By M at 7:11 PM ON 09/30/09
Well Batman59 you just know they're -NOT- gunna be try to the nudity in the books... If HBO was doing this as a mini-series (which I think would be brilliant as HBO has proven itself able to make excellent miniseries) then yes it would very possibly be true to the books, but Disney..... This will not be the books....
By Farview at 9:15 PM ON 09/30/09
Sadly this does sound like it will be horrible. I think Purefoy would be better in the lead... I have no idea who Taylor Kitsch is but he just seems like a pretty boy. He also seems too young to be John Carter. Why plunder three books? There is plenty of action in "A Princess of Mars" for a movie. I loved reading Burroughs' Mars books when I was younger... too bad this movie sounds so bad.
By Kevin at 11:14 PM ON 09/30/09
It is also possible that they are filming several movies at once, as in LOtR. But then, they would call the first movie A Princess of Mars, and they don't.
By thunder2677 at 8:35 AM ON 10/01/09
The disappointing thing here, if it is true, is the combining of three books. There is more than enough plot and action in "A Princess of Mars" for a 2 hour movie. Sounds as if John Carter fans might get short changed
By kenshiro2012 at 9:13 AM ON 10/01/09
I do not know where the Reporter got their information. From an easy web search I find that the part of Tal Hajus is being played by Mitchell Gordon.
There are a few behind the scenes shots of the filming that can be found here www.zannel.com/mitchimo
Also according to linkedin he is playing the part.
http://www.linkedin.com/in/mitchellgordon
Sp much for Reporter's insider info
By a different tim at 11:19 AM ON 10/01/09
Does everyone remember the movie Queen of the Damned? Remember when they mixed novels together and then changed almost everything about them? Seems like they could be headed down that track with John Carter.
By Venusian at 11:40 AM ON 10/01/09
"If all the characters are in the movie, it means that events and action from the three books will be compressed into one story."
All the character are not. What's the matter with you ? This isn't reporting.... Matai Shang would be in there as foreshadowing for the next movie, something ERB never did.
As for the rest of ya - this John Carter.It's more Star Wars ( when it was good ) than 300.
John Carter and the Dangley Bits of Mars - Carter arrives buff on Mars, do you really think he was dangling his bits about for all 11 more books without even a loin cloth ? Did you really imagine it that way ? Eeeeew....
By KM at 12:14 PM ON 10/01/09
kenshiro2012: those pictures you linked to are from the Asylum's Princess of Mars movie. The article is talking about the Disney's John Carter of Mars movie. Two different movies, although based on the same book.
By Kerry at 5:06 PM ON 10/01/09
I agree, there's no way Disney could make a true version of any ERB Mars book, much less mash 3 together and come up with anything like a coherent story. I would have liked the casting of Hallie Berry as Delija Thoris, however. Tor-Tu-Bar rules!
By anachronite at 11:31 PM ON 10/01/09
too bad for this franchise, it's ruined before it ever got out of the box. First put in the hands of Disney, then horrible casting and a terrible director... what a way to ruin an awesome franchise. thanks again hollywood-douchers
By anachronite at 11:37 PM ON 10/01/09
oh my I just saw the behind the scenes footage... the costume suck, the makup sucks, the acting sucks.. this movie is going to suck. I can;t believe how much clothing they were wearing. totally ridiculous. F-Hollywood!
By anachronite at 11:39 PM ON 10/01/09
this reminds me of the crap bucket that was Starship troopers, like that movie, it looks like the folks making this one only read the cliffs notes.
saw yourself the cash and reead the books. can get cheaper on amazon
By Kenn at 5:18 AM ON 10/02/09
I had high hopes for this. But I think I'll just reread the novels as well
(ps... fix the damn Captcha. It often takes three or four tries to get it to accept the code, even when imput correctly)
By KM at 3:18 PM ON 10/02/09
I don't know why I bother... THE PICS NOW ONLINE ARE FROM ASYLUM'S PRINCESS OF MARS. DIFFERENT MOVIE. THE DISNEY ONE HASN'T STARTED FILMING YET.
How about a bit of a research before you start ranting, so that you are at least ranting of the right thing?
By Spence at 1:55 AM ON 10/18/09
It doesn't matter what the pics are from. Disney/Pixar will never make anything close to teh books. I have been a fan and own all of ERB's books and the Mars series is one of my favorites. For me the clothing part is low on the priority list and just doesn't matter. But the feel and adventure of the series center around a lot of combat and ass kicking. Corpses like cordwood as the greatest swordsman on two worlds carves his bloody path through it.
This will be another abortion like Starship Troopers was.
Gah! Cramming three books into one?
By RobW at 4:39 PM ON 10/19/09
If we get three decent movies out of all the books before they wring all the ideas out we'll be doing well.
John Carter's seems to be immortal but looks thirty but, hey, the teen market won't go for an old man like that will it?!! Lynn Collins looks good, though.
Never expect too much and you'll be less gutted...
By CHAT51 at 6:23 PM ON 10/19/09
IT SOUNDS like this is going to be a great movie ,i really can't wait to see this ; i have been waiting for years to see this on film .tarzan has been mAde and remade over the years but this is the frist for john carter of mars movie !
By liverlips at 2:21 PM ON 11/01/09
I read all the books as a kid and am looking forward to this. The series was more about adventure than plot (like comic books & movie serials), so I'll probably prefer the movie as an adult. If they can cram forty years of X-Men history into a trilogy, why not three Mars books into one movie?
I think only the arrested developed are complaining.
By Ras Thavas at 4:29 AM ON 12/05/09
RE: "Tor-Tu-Bar rules!"
Like duh. It's "Tor-dur-bar".
It's funny how many people can rant and rave on a subject without getting the easy details correct. And in this case a true fan!
This could actually turn out to be a really good film. Why don't we wait and see?
By joeyd at 12:12 AM ON 12/18/09
I've been a fan of John Carter of Mars (and Edgar Rice Burroughs books in general) for ages and though, like many other film adaptations that are rarely 100% accurate, I'm still looking forward to seeing this when it comes out in 2012 - which you other hardcore fans know will mark the 100th anniversary of the publishing of A Princess of Mars. How appropriate!
By Sensei Bear at 6:02 PM ON 01/22/10
Scrap it now.. out of respect to one of the finest stories ever told. Disney... my god.... Mickey sucks.
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Scrap it now.. out of respect to one of the finest stories ever told. Disney... my god.... Mickey sucks....More »