The Cold Turnkey

When the Disney Studios confirmed in mid-2009 they were partnering with Pixar Studios to bring a live-action “John Carter of Mars” to the big screen, Edgar Rice Burroughs fan sites lit up across the Internet with excitement. Even though the movie will not be released until 2012, three years after the announcement, anticipation for the movie project has reached near-crescendo levels. There have already been several attempts to bring “John Carter of Mars” to the big screen, and all ended before they could really begin.

Despite the fact that Hollywood has produced many science fiction and fantasy movies through the years, including many adaptations of Tarzan, Edgar Rice Burroughs’ most well-known character, the John Carter franchise has eluded film-makers’ best efforts to launch a credible production. At least one independent studio has taken advantage of the hype and hoopla over the Disney/Pixar movie to fast track its own low-budget version of the story, “A Princess of Mars”, to a direct-to-DvD release. They hired Traci Lords to play the princess.

News and rumors about the “John Carter of Mars” movie are both rare and rampant as sites frenziedly quote each other in an attempt to create the most comprehensive articles covering the extremely little information that has been published so far. Some John Carter of Mars fan sites intentionally recap information provided by other sites to help fans stay on top of the trickling news.

Science fiction and fantasy forums have also been abuzz with discussion about the movie. Written and directed by Andrew Stanton, “John Carter of Mars” stars Taylor Kitsch and Lynn Collins. Their careers and every mention of the movie are sure to be discussed thoroughly in a variety of John Carter of Mars movie discussion threads and forums.