Pixar's Live-Action John Carter of Mars Finds Cast

**Tiggerlives** · 09-30-2009 09:12 AM

For their first foray into the world of live-action cinema, Pixar is letting Andrew Stanton (director of Finding Nemo and Wall-E) adapt the sci-fi classic John Carter of Mars.

Edgar Rice Burroughs' eleven-volume series was first published in 1917 and has seen many studios try their hands at adaptation throughout the years- including a pass at the Mouse House in the 1980's that was set to star Tom Cruise with a script from none other than the Pirates of the Caribbean duo, Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio.

Flash forward two decades and Disney re-acquired the rights for Stanton. It's still unclear if this will be released under the Pixar or Disney Pictures brand. The series follows Civil War Veteran John Carter as he's mysteriously transported to Mars and finds himself a key cog in the middle of civil war on the Red Planet.

Taylor Kitsch (Gambit from X-Men Origins: Wolverine) had been confirmed as John Carter. Now comes news that Thomas Haden Church will play a warrior looking to become king while James Purefoy (NBC's The Philanthropist) will play a captain and Mark Strong (big roles in the yet-to-be-released Robin Hood and Sherlock Holmes reboots) will play a godlike ruler from Mars.

As this looks to be PG-13, I bet it gets released under the Disney name and not Pixar. But if anyone can crack a story that's been floating around for nearly a century- I bet Stanton can. Has anyone actually read the series?