Pixar negotiating for "John Carter of Mars"

By: Karl Schneider
Date: Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Source: Hollywood Reporter

Disney and Pixar are in final negotiations to acquire the film rights to the Edgar Rice Burroughs novel series John Carter of Mars.

The series tells of a Civil War officer named John Carter who is transported to Mars and finds himself a captive of the savage green men from Thark. Carter eventually rises to become a great warrior, marries a princess, raises a family and embarks on numerous adventures.

The series is the epitome of Development Hell, having been at Disney in development for most of the 1990's before heading to Paramount Pictures in 2002.  Multiple directors have been attached to either an animated or live action version of the series, including: Robert Rodriguez, Kerry Conrad, Jon Favreau, Jeffrey Katzenberg and John McTiernan.

Paramount relinquished the rights about a year ago, and the series had been untouched until a month ago, when Pixar came calling.

A representative of the Burroughs estate said the studio was acquiring the live-action rights for a possible tent pole franchise. However, sources at Disney believed Mars to be headed for animated adaptation.


KJ's Take:  I make no secret that I am a giant Pixar fan boy.  I have loved everything they have made, their animation is top of the heap and they tell a story better than any other animation studio out there.

As such, I consider this great news.