“John Carter” of Mars Turned Out Okay

I wrote a lengthy review at for “John Carter” of Mars in which I share my very positive, supportive thoughts about the film.

What I want to share here is my disgust at the apparent poison pen campaign that someone in the film industry appears to have conducted against the movie. I began to realize something was up after reading this negative article in the L.A. Times. This was the second news story in a week where I came across references to some unnamed rival studio boss who was predicting disaster for “John Carter”.

I don’t know yet if the movie flops — I hope not. Now I want to see the sequels even more than before.

But we’ve been hearing all sorts of bad press about the movie from the film industry over the past couple of weeks. Supposedly, women didn’t like the movie. Oddly enough, there were plenty of women in the theater I went to who really enjoyed it.

Supposedly no young people are interested in the movie. Again, there were plenty of kids, teenagers, and college students in the audience — and they gave the film an ovation after it was over.

I don’t know how often people in the film industry try to torpedo each other’s projects — I suppose it happens quite often — but what disgusts me is that the news media played along. Someone down low apparently knows how to press buttons with the L.A. Times and other major news organizations willing to sell their integrity by pandering to old fashioned poison pen campaigns.

You’d think professional journalists would know better, but perhaps the disdain with which science fiction and fantasy are often treated by the news media excuses this kind of nonsense in their eyes. Well, the L.A. Times has no excuse. They should know better, and I expect better of them.

Disney screwed up royally in clamping down an embargo on the movie’s production for two years. They should have engaged with the fans all along, given us access to the development of Barsoom, and fed a steady stream of information and spy reports to major fan sites.

Disney owes the Edgar Rice Burroughs fandom a huge apology. They can make it up to us, however, by greenlighting the sequels to “John Carter” and getting the advance promotion right. Andrew Stanton did a great job with the movie. He just needs to come out and engage with the fans.

I think Edgar Rice Burroughs would have been pleased with the movie.

John Carter of Mars tidbits

In an interview with Collider a few days ago, actor Bryan Cranston divulged some details about his part in the upcoming Andrew Stanton film “John Carter of Mars”.

Cranston plays a Union colonel who tracks Carter down to Arizona after the Civil War in an attempt to recruit him. Cranston says they have a couple more weeks of filming of which he is part, and he’ll be in Utah. Does that mean his character is transported to Mars with Carter?

That is not necessarily too far beyond what Edgar Rice Burroughs himself imagined. There was a character in a later book, Ulysses Paxton, who also traveled to Barsoom to become one of that planet’s heroes. Paxton was introduced in the 6th book in the series, The Master Mind of Mars, and he was a soldier who died in France during the Great War (World War I).

It’s impossible to tell from what I know so far whether Cranston’s character is based on Ulysses Paxton. It would be an interesting twist to the series’ premise. I would guess Stanton likes the character but is doubtful of being able to take the series beyond three films.

MovieScore Magazine reported earlier this month that Oscar winning composer Michael Giacchino has been signed to do the soundtrack for the movie. Giacchino did the score for Disney’s “Up” (fantastic movie, btw — you should see it if you haven’t already).

The Guardian chatted with Michael Chabon while he was in London touching up the John Carter script but I don’t see anything significant to the movie in the article.

Ciarán Hinds has a small role in the movie as well, according to this and other sources. Fangoria reveals that Hinds is “the leader of one of two warring factions” on Mars.

Taylor Kitsch plays the title character in “John Carter”. Lynn Collins is his love interest, Dejah Thoris. The movie is currently scheduled for release in 2012, the year marking the 100th anniversary of the publication of A Princess of Mars, the first of the John Carter/Barsoom books by Edgar Rice Burroughs.

John Carter of Mars cast updates, rumors

The confirmed cast for Disney/Pixar’s “John Carter of Mars” is growing. Andrew Stanton is producing/directing the (mostly) live action movie, for which principal photography should begin in a few more weeks.

According to The Hollywood Reporter and IMDB, we know the cast lineup so far is:

Taylor Kitsch starring as John Carter, Lynn Collins as Dejah Thoris, Willem Dafoe as Tars Tarkus, Mark Strong as Matai Shang, Dominic West as Sab Than, Thomas Hayden Church as Tal Hajus, James Purefoy as Kantos Kan, Daryl Sabara as Edgar Rice Burroughs (yes, he DOES appear in the books), Samantha Morton as Sola, and Polly Walker as Sarkoja.

Some weird, bizarre, stupid Website that manufactures gossip alleges that Taylor Kitsch is doing cocaine on-set — which I think is pretty amazing since, as I noted above, principal photography has yet to begin. I suppose if Taylor is sitting alone out there in the fields of Utah he might be asking for companions to be brought to his studio but in Utah? If you’re going to make up stuff about people, you should get your timing right. Anyway, I only mention this in the event that people start to pick up on the rumor. It’s false, fake, not real, and totally bogus. Besides, it’s simply not true.

More reputable Web sites (like SciFi Wire), however, are starting to speculate (based on the character list) that the first three books may be compressed into one movie. Now, I have no inside information and I suppose there is every possibility that the first movie will depart from the literary canon in numerous ways — but, frankly, these characters could just be cameos intended to set up for the next two movies (that we’ve already heard are being considered). It’s too soon for people to be jumping up and down, putting on their Purist Panic hats.

Here is a quick breakdown of how A Princess of Mars, the first book in the series, goes:

John Carter is a U.S. Civil War veteran who fought on the losing side. He goes to Arizona to seek his fortune and runs afoul of some Apache warriors and a bear. Dying in a cave, he finds his spirit transported to a new body on Mars, where because of its lower gravity he has superhuman strength compared to the native humanoids. At first captured by the towering, four-armed Green Men, Carter is taught/befriended by Sola, the daughter of one of their princes. Sola confides to Carter that her birth was very unusual in that she knows who her parents are

While in captivity Carter meets Dejah Thoris, a princess of the Red Men (who but for their very red skin look like Earth’s humans). Carter falls in love with her. They are tormented by Tal Hajus, ruler of the tribe of Green Men who have captured them, but Carter gradually wins the friendship and respect of Tars Tarkus, Sola’s father, who becomes Carter’s greatest friend and ally on Barsoom (Mars). Sola herself is tormented by the evil Sarkoja, who was responsible for the death of Sola’s mother and who raised Sola as a slave.

Sab Than is a prince among the Red Men who wants to marry Dejah Thoris. Kantos Kan is an officer in the Navy of Helium, Dejah Thoris’ country, and he is very loyal to her family. Kantos Kan becomes one of Carter’s chief allies and closest friends on Barsoom.

Matia Shang is the Jeddak of the Therns, the White Men of Barsoom. They also serve as the planet’s priestly caste, protecting an ancient, deadly secret about the planet that they have abused for untold millennia to their own advantage. Shang eventually becomes an unwanted suitor for Dejah Thoris and one of John Carter’s most hated enemies.

So how will all this play out in Stanton’s movie(s)? I don’t know and I won’t pretend to know. I’m waiting for more information.

We have an ongoing John Carter of Mars discussion at SF-Fandom. Please feel free to join in.