Pixar Rolling On With Plans For John Carter Trilogy

An Edgar Rice Burroughs news site has reported on a Pixar research trip to the archives at ERB Inc. in early November. Present were Andrew Stanton, the director, Mark Andrews, screenwriter and Jim Morris, producer of Wall-E and Pixar exec.

They are cited as confirming a full trilogy of John Carter films, determinedly loyal to Burroughs' work, and a release date pre-2012 for the first. I would guess that means 2011, after Up in 2009 and Toy Story 3 in 2010? Or will we finally be getting more than one Pixar film a year? After all, 1906 has to fit in somewhere.

It looks like there are now confirmed animation, live-action and animation/live-action combination projects on the Pixar slate.

Del Toro's Tarzan To Be A Tough, Young Upstart

Guillermo del Toro has been in London for the Baftas, where he collected the 'best foreign language film' mask with Pan's Labyrinth, and most deservedly so. Speaking to various members of the press, he let slip a few bits and pieces about his eventual Tarzan movie, here and there.

"The idea is to try to do a version unlike any other, in the sense that Tarzan's formative years growing through the jungle are incredibly tough and brutal."

"There's always this idyllic sense of the jungle being like a Disney set and I want to portray how this guy becomes the toughest animal in the jungle."

It could be any number of years before this film enters production, so let's try not to let our interest peak too early.

John Carter Of Mars Headed To Disney, Into The Hands Of Pixar

All of the signs are pointing in the same direction. Every source I've checked with, both online and off, corroborates the story: the adaptation of Edgar Rice Burrough's John Carter of Mars has left Paramount for pastures new, and very green these pastures will be too. Even The Hollywood Reporter are slicing the cake this way, as cautious as they are about such 'prone', early announcements. Tentative as I might be feeling, I'm still very excited about the prospect.

You see, it looks like John Carter is going to be adapted into a CG animation at Pixar.

John Lasseter has been very keen to get hold of the project, which was at home at Disney for many years. During that time, various directors were attached, most famously Robert Rodriguez.

Now, it's probably quite easy to assume Brad Bird will be handed the film to direct, and while I will agree that's seeming very likely, there's no indication - yet - that this is the case.