"John Carter of Mars" is based on Edgar Rice Burroughs' novel A Princess of Mars (first published in 1912 -- does anyone smell a "Year of Edgar Rice Burroughs" coming on?), the first of 10 books that ERB published about Barsoom (although those books take place in a larger fictional universe that includes classic characters such as Tarzan and Carson Napier of Venus).
From The Hollywood Reporter's story:
English actors Samantha Morton, Dominic West and Polly Walker have joined "John Carter of Mars," Disney's adaptation of the Edgar Rice Burroughs book series that Andrew Stanton is directing.
So the cast lineup presently looks like this:
- Taylor Kitsch stars as John Carter
- Lynn Collins plays Dejah Thoris
- Willem Dafoe plays Tars Tarkas
- Samantha Morton plays Sola
- Dominic West plays Sab Than
- Polly Walker plays Sarkoja
So how does the story play out? John Carter is an ex-Confederate soldier (from Virginia) who seeks his fortune out west after the Union wins the war. When his partner is killed by Apaches Carter finds himself trapped in a cave, where he sort of dies at night after gazing longingly with all his soul upon the planet Mars.
He wakes up naked in an ochre-moss plain, discovers an incubator for a tribe or nation of 12-foot-tall four-armed green men (who have tusks protruding from their mouths). Because he was born on Earth, Carter is immensely strong compared to the Martians (Barsoomians) and it doesn't take him long to win a place among the cruel, savage green hordes.
But Carter discovers Mars has a gentler, more civilized "human" species when he meets Dejah Thoris, princess of Helium, with whom he falls in love. Carter helps Dejah Thoris escape her green captors (while befriending Tars Tarkas, one of their princes) and return to her people.
Tarkas takes risks in befriending Carter (and Thoris) but he himself has a tale to tell. In his youth, going against all tradition, he and one of his tribe's females secretly had a daughter (Sola) whom they tried to raise in secret. Sarkoja, as evil and cruel a green woman as ever lived, learned of Sola and had her mothered put to death. Ignorant of who Sola's father was, Sarkoja raised Sola as a slave. Carter eventually learned the whole story from Sola and told it to Tars Tarkas. Well, you can imagine where things might go from there.
Sab Than is a red man, a prince from the city of Zodanga, who seeks to marry Dejah Thoris. John Carter must win her back from this unsuitable suitor and destroy the threat that Zodanga poses to the whole of Barsoom.
Oh, exciting times, they are awaitin' us at the theater (assuming any of this plot makes it into the movies).
Disney has assured people that "John Carter of Mars" will be a live-action movie that uses a lot of CGI effects.
Pixar's Andrew Stanton is directing the movie, much of which will be filmed in Utah this fall.
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