This is some pretty impressive news for anyone who is a fan of the “John Cart of Mars Stories” from Edgar Rice Burroughs. The live-action film adaptation, which will be directed by Andrew Stanton, has just added Thomas Haden Church, James Purefoy and Mark Strong to the cast.
“John Carter of Mars” tells the story of a US Civil War veteran who goes to sleep in a cave after being chased by Apache Indians and wakes up on Mars, known as Barsoom. Formerly an Earthlike world, it became less hospitable to life due to its advanced age: as the oceans evaporated, and the atmosphere thinned, the planet devolved into partial barbarism with the inhabitants hardened and warlike, fighting one another to survive.
Church plays Tal Hajus, an ambitious and vicious Thark warrior who is biding his time to be a ruler.
Purefoy plays Kantos Kan, the captain of the Xavarian, the kingdom of Helium’s grand warship.
Strong is Matai Shang, the ruler of the Thems with godlike status.
Wow, say all that three times fast… The three actors will join Willem Dafoe, Samantha Morton, Dominic West, Lynn Collins and Polly Walker in what is sure to be entirely epic or ultimate fail.