One of the biggest comic book disasters of all time could be about to find some redemption as a new animated series based on Edgar Rice Burroughs’ classic sci-fi novel series John Carter of Mars looks to make a better attempt at adapting the story than the live-action 2012 movie did. For many people, John Carter still stands as one of the biggest movie flops ever, mainly thanks to its gargantuan budget and lacking box office interest. This new iteration will be looking to bring some justice to Burroughs’ work in a new format.
This time around, the project is being developed through a collaboration between the author’s estate and showrunner Michael Kogge, and it looks fans will get their first look at the new iteration at SDCC at the end of this week.
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For a film widely considered one of the biggest box-office bombs of all time, this 2012 sci-fi adventure holds up better than you’d think.
John Carter has plenty of familiar-sounding tropes, with the titular character, a Civil War veteran, being transported to Mars where he becomes a fierce warrior who takes on all manner of alien creatures in some spectacular battle sequences. However, the reason it all sounds so familiar is that Burroughs’ original 1912 story became the foundation for many sci-fi novels, films and TV shows that followed, including Star Wars, Flash Gordon, and even James Cameron’s mighty Avatar franchise.
The novel A Princess of Mars became the basis for Disney’s attempt to start their own epic space saga, but when the movie became an infamous failure, all sequel plans were instantly abandoned and the idea of trying to bring the John Carter story to life again evaporated for the next decade.
Can ‘John Carter’ Ever Be a Success?
Disney’s critical and commercial flop may have been the adaptation of John Carter that is remembered for all the wrong reasons, but it was not the first attempt to bring Burroughs’ influential work to life. Before the live-action iteration, Burroughs’ own son, John Coleman Burroughs, pitched a series of nine-minute short animations based on the character, which would have played before main features in cinemas. Despite a test reel being made with the help of Looney Tunes animator Bob Clampett, the studio rejected the idea.
Now, with streaming platforms creating a much more accessible arena for sci-fi and fantasy projects, showrunner Kogge has a strong belief that now is exactly the right time to give John Carter of Mars his dues. In a statement, Kogge said:
“In this era of incredible animation, with shows like ‘Castlevania,’ ‘Blood of Zeus’ and ‘Twilight of the Gods’ pushing the genre of fantasy action-adventure to new heights, there couldn’t be a better time for the Martian saga of John Carter and Princess Dejah Thoris to be told through bold, ground-breaking animation.”
“The explosive rise of action-adventure animation has captivated audiences around the world, making it the perfect moment to launch our John Carter animated series. This marks a new era in storytelling for the Edgar Rice Burroughs universe and we’re excited that Michael Kogge will help bring Mars to life,” said producer Jim Sullos, for Edgar Rice Burroughs Inc.
If there is anyone capable of bringing John Carter success, then Kogge would seem to be that person, having already written an audio series based on the novels, which is currently being recorded with an all-star cast including Star Wars icon Ian McDiarmid. Perhaps, finally, fans are about to get a John Carter adaptation that really captures the epic magic of Burroughs’ stories.
John Carter
- Release Date
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March 9, 2012
- Runtime
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132 minutes
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