John Carter:
The latest on Pixar’s John Carter of Mars film (via Chud.com)…
Local Utah news station KLS is reporting that Pixar’s foray into the world of live action, an adaptation of Edgar Rice Burrough’s John Carter of Mars, will be shooting in Utah this fall. That doesn’t mean that John Carter will have multiple wives or attend an indie film festival, but it could mean that Pixar intends to do less green screen then we might have thought.
After all, Utah is home to some of the most unearthly geography on Earth. Monument Valley, which it shares with Arizona, became famous in the films of John Ford; it’s buttes and columns truly look like an alien landscape, and the reddish sands call to mind Mars (or as the Martians call it, Barsoom). Zion National Park also offers incredible scenery, better than anything the CGI masters at Pixar could come up with, as does the Arches National Park. Then there’s Moab. Essentially Utah is Mars.
Utah story via Slashfilm.
Meanwhile, Coming Soon is reporting that Lynn Collins, who played Wolverine’s girlfriend in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, has signed on to John Carter of Mars. Or at least her Twitter feed gives that impression. I wasn’t that impressed with her acting in Wolverine, but looks-wise she’d make a great Deja Thoris, the Martian Queen.
Conan:
The above constitutes my second or third posting on the in-production John Carter movie, but strangely, I’ve failed to mention the concurrently in-development adaptation of Conan the Barbarian. If you’ve been following this site for a while you’re no doubt aware of my affection for the original stories by Robert E. Howard (not to mention the 70s comic book adaptation by Roy Thomas and John Buscema), so isn’t it odd that I haven’t mentioned the forthcoming flick? Well, the reason for my silence heretofore is simple: I don’t believe that Lionsgate (the studio currently in possession of the property) is serious about giving the material its due. The first director announced for “Conan” was Brett Ratner, a filmmaker I have no great love for (his movies are competently made, I suppose, but they also have a slick and superficial quality). Some time ago, Ratner left the project and the film went into a sort of “it’s still happening, but we can’t give you any specifics” limbo. Yesterday, the (rather strong) rumor that Marcus Nispel would be taking over the reins on the project emerged. Nispel’s most prominent credit to date was the recent remake of Friday the 13th. Again, not serious. In the interest of full disclosure, I will say that I did not see Friday the 13th, but that was primarily because my lack of interest in the film was practically tangible. (I mean you could’ve poked it with a stick and it would’ve cried out.) Anyway, no one’s hoping more than me that Nispel will do right by the material, but my hopes aren’t running high. I just have to wonder whether or not there were better choices for “Conan”. Let me give you two fer instances…
- Howard McCain, the Director of Outlander. As you can see by going down just one post, I thought Outlander was well-made and was certainly infused with some elements which were very Conan-like.
- Michael J. Bassett, the director of the forthcoming Solomon Kane. “Kane” hasn’t gotten a theatrical release yet, but I am assured by an impeccable source that Bassett gets this sort of material. (And, hell, Solomon Kane himself is also a Robert E. Howard creation.)
So, despite the fact that I have a great deal more affection for Conan than I do John Carter, I am convinced that “Carter” will be a better film. At least in the case of “Carter”, I know the director (Andrew Stanton — he of Wall*E and Finding Nemo) is not only highly competent, he is excited about the stories upon which the film will be based.
Post Script:
Okay, I take back some of the above confidence in the adaptation of John Carter. Again, via Chud…
A couple of hours ago I was all high on John Carter of Mars (which I called a Pixar film, but I guess it’s a co-production with Disney and all of the animation nerds on the boards got enraged about the mistake. Sorry!). I loved the idea of the picture shooting in the otherworldly landscape of Utah. I was okay with the idea of Lynn Collins, who didn’t wow me in Wolverine, playing Dejah Thoris.
But then I went to see The Taking of Pelham 123 (review coming!) and when I got home the world had been turned upside down. See, they had hired John Carter himself. And it seems like they did all of their casting during a screening of Wolverine. They hired Gambit.
The guy who played Gambit is going to be playing John Carter, a Civil War soldier who teleports to Mars.
Ugh.
I know that there will be some of you who will point to Taylor Kitsch (what a fucking name. Was is mother’s maiden name KnickKnack?) as an actor on Friday Night Lights, and maybe he’s good there, but he’s still a pretty boy. A pretty, pretty boy.
But I have to try and have faith in Andrew Stanton. I must try to remain open-minded. I must try. I must try.
via Hollywood Reporter
I agree with our faithful commentator. Kitsch is completely wrong for the part. Oh well, Strike One.
Post Script #2:
Well, Nispel has been confirmed by Variety as the director of Conan the Barbarian. Chalk it up my curmudgeonly nature if you like but it really irks me that Variety keeps referring to the film as a remake of the Schwarzenegger flick from the 80s. Whatever the intentions of the helmers of this new movie, I’m fairly certain they have no desire to “remake” the older film.
At least I hope that’s the case. If I’m wrong, my outlook just got a whole lot bleaker.