"John Carter of Mars" Moving Ahead!
- Thread starter Ptrope
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Trailer is a little underwhelming. I don't know, I kind of expected it'd be weirder or more exotic... and for a film production that's said they definitely won't be taking any cues from Frazetta artwork that's a lot of half-naked warrior man.
It's an odd title, particularly since 'of Mars' is so strongly associated with the book series. If Disney wanted to keep the door open for sequels, Something Else of Mars has a better ring to it than John Carter II.
It looks decent enough, although I was also expecting (and hoping for) a more exotic design sensibility. It's looking a bit too Prince of Persia on Mars at the moment. Anyway, it's early days and just a teaser, so we'll see how it turns out.
He sounds like someone who's trying to rationalize a bad decision. Which the title change obviously was.
And that's unfortunate, because he seems to be making a lot of good decisions.
ETA: The trailer looks good, anyway.
Thinking about this a little more:
The logo for the film appears to be a stylished J, C, and an M... almost as if they made it before they dropped the 'of Mars' from the title.
Since he's said he wants to make a trilogy of movies, that does sound like the idea is to name one of the sequels Something Else of Mars - presumably, to name it John Carter of Mars.
So the feeling one may get from the trailer of Mars not seeming terribly exotic and instead looking like a mildly touched up version of Utah? That's on purpose... right.
The logo for the film appears to be a stylished J, C, and an M... almost as if they made it before they dropped the 'of Mars' from the title.
Andrew Stanton said:
Since he's said he wants to make a trilogy of movies, that does sound like the idea is to name one of the sequels Something Else of Mars - presumably, to name it John Carter of Mars.
Andrew Stanton said:
So the feeling one may get from the trailer of Mars not seeming terribly exotic and instead looking like a mildly touched up version of Utah? That's on purpose... right.
Maybe the disastrous box office of Disney's Mars Needs Moms led to an irrational edict from the top brass never to put "Mars" in a title again. 
^Could be. Shades of Dino de Laurentiis and Manhunter. 
That doesn't bother me much. Middle Earth looked like a touched-up version of New Zealand. And really--how exotic can a desert look? I mean--sand and rock is sand and rock.
That doesn't bother me much. Middle Earth looked like a touched-up version of New Zealand. And really--how exotic can a desert look? I mean--sand and rock is sand and rock.
Looks like Conan meets Stargate meets Cowboys & Aliens.
Is it just me or does Tyler Kitsch look alot like Timothy Olyphant?
Is it just me or does Tyler Kitsch look alot like Timothy Olyphant?
I think what he's saying does make a certain amount of sense really. They seem to basically be going for a historical epic that just happens to be on another planet feeling.
^Could be. Shades of Dino de Laurentiis and Manhunter.
That doesn't bother me much. Middle Earth looked like a touched-up version of New Zealand. And really--how exotic can a desert look? I mean--sand and rock is sand and rock.
Doesn't bother me much either.
Here's a picture of the real Mars: http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/117989main_image_feature_347_ys_full.jpg
Except for the colors (and maybe not even that) it could be any desert here on Earth.
I haven't really been following production on this. He's a character I've known of just not really ever explored.
I decided to test out John Carter recently when last year Dynamite Entertainment began their comic run with the character. I read the first arc and the mini with Dejah Thoris and found them entertaining.
I just saw the trailer and when I saw the Disney logo felt some watering down might occur. Especially when it came to attire. I understand Dejah and Martians in general were written by Burroughs as to be very minimally clothed so the comic wasn't really being salacious, just true to the source. Dejah is very well clothed in that trailer. Just one glimpse of a green martian though.
Had to IMDB the movie cause I couldn't place the actor playing John, just knew he looked famaliar. He was Gambit in XO:Wolverine, didn't watch his football show. So then I was like, "Ok, they raided the Wolverine film" cause Dejah is being played by Lynn Collins who played Silverfox and she would look great in an actual Dejah accurate 'wardrobe'.
I may keep a distance on this film since my exposure is minimal anyway my expectations are that way as well. It looks a bit like Prince of Persia during some of that trailer. Which, imo, isn't bad. I liked that film and thought it was overly bashed.
I decided to test out John Carter recently when last year Dynamite Entertainment began their comic run with the character. I read the first arc and the mini with Dejah Thoris and found them entertaining.
I just saw the trailer and when I saw the Disney logo felt some watering down might occur. Especially when it came to attire. I understand Dejah and Martians in general were written by Burroughs as to be very minimally clothed so the comic wasn't really being salacious, just true to the source. Dejah is very well clothed in that trailer. Just one glimpse of a green martian though.
Had to IMDB the movie cause I couldn't place the actor playing John, just knew he looked famaliar. He was Gambit in XO:Wolverine, didn't watch his football show. So then I was like, "Ok, they raided the Wolverine film" cause Dejah is being played by Lynn Collins who played Silverfox and she would look great in an actual Dejah accurate 'wardrobe'.
I may keep a distance on this film since my exposure is minimal anyway my expectations are that way as well. It looks a bit like Prince of Persia during some of that trailer. Which, imo, isn't bad. I liked that film and thought it was overly bashed.
A little more than just some slight photoshop work, though. I rememebr one of the commentaries pointing out that a given scene was a composite from three or four different New Zealand locations, then inlaid with some modelwork.
Very.
Hell, look at the real Mars. That's some weird looking crap right there.
Weeeeeird.
I'm intrigued by the trailer... I like this kind of stuff. I just hope the final end product looks more exotic than this.
Avatar set a high bar, but they can't ignore it, even if they are going for a different style.
But it is just the teaser after all...
Avatar set a high bar, but they can't ignore it, even if they are going for a different style.
But it is just the teaser after all...
I just described it to a friend as looking like "Cowboys & Barbarians" 
And I have to agree with some of the posts - Tyler Kitsch doesn't look anything like my mental picture of John Carter, but then I've been 'indoctrinated' by Frazetta and Whelan's cover paintings.
it looks good. i'm not sure about the actors though. Taylor Kitsch doesn't feel like John Carter. Lynn Collins doesn't feel like Dejah Thoris. its hard to get a sense of them from the trailer. maybe its all the clothing
Kitsch seems to be too much of a kid to be John Carter. I always had the sense that he had a fair bit of life under his belt before being mystically transported to Mars. James Purfoy, who is Kantos Kan in this movie, is more my idea of Carter - someone who has some mileage, and it shows. Also damn sexy. Not into the Twilight kind of guy.
Lynn Collins does seem like Dejah Thoris to me, although I originally expected them to cast someone more exotic, like Moon Bloodgood (who of course is busy with Falling Skies).
I hope this movie is a success, and that they follow it with my favorite ERB character, Carson of Venus. I always liked that series the best! Moon Bloodgood would also be a good Duare. I guess that actress is a stand-in for how I envision all ERB sci fi heroines.
I've been "indoctrinated" by the Marvel comics version - I found a selection of images at io9 - the way the character is drawn seems reminiscent of young Clint Eastwood and actors who were popular in the 60s and 70s, when the cute-young-guy/teenybopper bait archetype didn't exist as an action hero.
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Well, as Wikipedia puts it:
I'm assuming basically nothing has happened with this and the film will never be made, but on the other hand, if this is a big hit (as Avatar also ruffled a few financial feathers) sure, why not?
