Disney has really embraced Facebook as a social networking publicity tool, as you may now from the various profiles associated with ALICE IN WONDERLAND opening in theaters March 5th. Until recently the studio’s profile for TRON LEGACY pushed the outer boundaries of promo titles to that film’s mid-December release date late this year.
Yet the Mouse looks even farther ahead in their movie calendar by launching their official JOHN CARTER OF MARS profile, gathering fans in anticipation of the Edgar Rice Burroughs‘ adaptation landing in theaters sometime in 2012! Amid all the recent head-chopping turmoil at Disney, this move in conjunction with the launching of press release material demonstrates considerable support and backing for director Andrew Stanton‘s live-action space adventure which literally awaits in the future.
As noted previously on FilmEdge, this will be Andrew Stanton’s first venture into live-action filmmaking — and what a project for diving headfirst into that pool! — after his lengthy string of animated successes for Pixar. But Stanton has had this project in his creative sights and imagination for years, being an enthusiastic Burroughs fan. Other studios have attempted to develop Burroughs’ Barsoom series for the big screen, including a possible Ray Harryhausen project and several proposed shorts actually test-animated by Bob Clampett. The wait to see John Carter in theaters now counts down to roughly two years as Stanton and Disney forge ahead on their big budget adaptation at full throttle.
Aside from an all-star cast including Willem Dafoe, Thomas Hayden Church, Bryan Cranston, Ciaran Hinds and Taylor Kitsch in the title role, few details are available on the production since production only began in London on January 15th. But Richard Lupoff‘s recent ERBzine interview with screenwriter Michael Chabon about JOHN CARTER OF MARS offers some subtle insights into the context of Stanton’s approach to this story, including this encouraging quote:
As far as I can tell it is very good for John Carter that Avatar has done so well. It legitimizes and helps solidify the idea that a movie like that with interplanetary romance can be a big commercial success if it’s done intelligently.
While JCOM screenwriting credits are not final, it appears that Chabon did a rewrite of Stanton and partner Mark Andrews‘ script and describes with obvious confidentiality his pleased reaction to viewing the pre-production art and concepts for the film. In short, Chabon has had a look from the inside and offers our earliest glimpses of what may be on MARS in 2012.
FilmEdge will continue following JOHN CARTER OF MARS production through its release. Stay tuned to this blog and FilmEdge.net for updates.
FilmEdge.net Blog 