Disney's 'John Carter of Mars' Heads to Utah

Pixar and Andrew Stanton going live-action

By: Brad Brevet
Published: Friday, June 12th 2009 at 4:21 AM

SlashFilm was tipped off to a story from the NBC affiliate KSL, which is reporting Disney's John Carter of Mars is set to begin production in Utah this November. Andrew Stanton (WALL•E) is directing from a script he worked on with Mark Andrews followed by revisions from Michael Chabon (Spider-Man 2).

The KSL report says the film will bring hundreds of cast and crew members to the state during production. "This is over 400 people involved in full-time work for seven-straight months here in the State of Utah. This is going to put our film crews to work. It's really going to put us on the map as a place to film," Governor's Office of Economic Development Director Jason Perry said.

I know nothing of the Edgar Rice Burroughs novels of which this film will be based, but I can tell you reports have said they are focusing on the first book in the series titled "A Princess of Mars," which tells the story of John Carter, a Civil War veteran who inexplicably finds himself held prisoner on the planet Mars by the Green Men of Thark. Together with Dejah Thoris, the princess of another clan on Mars, the unlikely pair must fight for their freedom and save the entire planet from destruction as the life-sustaining Atmosphere Factory slowly grinds to a halt.

Previous directors attached to this project included Kerry Conran (Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow) and Jon Favreau (Iron Man).