John Carter (film)

Lore & Background

Several attempts to adapt the Barsoom series had been made since the 1930s by various major studios and producers, but most stalled in development hell. In the late-2000s, Walt Disney Pictures began a concerted effort after an abandoned venture in the 1980s. Andrew Stanton, who had pressed Disney to renew the screen rights from the Burroughs estate, became the film's director in 2009. It was his live-action debut after directing Pixar's Finding Nemo and WALL-E. Stanton and his Pixar colleague Mark Andrews wrote the initial screenplay draft, which Michael Chabon was brought on to revise. Filming began in November 2009, with principal photography from January to July 2010. Michael Giacchino composed the music. The film is dedicated to the memory of Steve Jobs.

Reader's Guide

John Carter had its world premiere in Los Angeles on February 22, 2012, and was released in the United States on March 9, marking the centennial of the titular character's first appearance. It received mixed reviews, with praise for its visuals, Giacchino's score, and action sequences, but criticism of characterization and plot. The film failed at the North American box office but set an opening-day record in Russia. It grossed $284 million worldwide, resulting in a $200 million writedown for Disney, becoming one of the biggest box office bombs in history and the film with the largest estimated box-office loss adjusted for inflation, losing $149–265 million. With a total cost of $350 million, it is one of the most expensive films ever made. Disney cancelled plans for Gods of Mars and Warlord of Mars, the rest of the planned trilogy. Much of the film's failure has been attributed to its promotion, called 'one of the worst marketing campaigns in movie history.'

Did You Know?

• The film is based on A Princess of Mars, the first book in the Barsoom series by Edgar Rice Burroughs.
• It was Andrew Stanton's live-action debut after directing Pixar's Finding Nemo and WALL-E.
• The film is dedicated to the memory of Steve Jobs, who was CEO and majority shareholder of Pixar prior to Disney's acquisition in 2006.
• John Carter set an opening-day record in Russia but became one of the biggest box office bombs in history.

A Decades-Long Adaptation Journey

The Barsoom series by Edgar Rice Burroughs had been a magnet for Hollywood adaptation attempts stretching back to the 1930s, with numerous major studios and producers taking shots at bringing the stories to screen. Yet most of these efforts dissolved into what the industry calls development hell, never reaching completion. Walt Disney Pictures had even abandoned a venture in the 1980s. It wasn't until the late 2000s that Disney mounted a fresh, concerted push to adapt Burroughs' work. Andrew Stanton, already a proven director at Pixar through Finding Nemo and WALL-E, became the driving force behind the project. He personally lobbied Disney to reacquire the screen rights from the Burroughs estate and was named director in 2009, marking his first live-action feature. The initial screenplay was drafted by Stanton alongside his Pixar colleague Mark Andrews, before Michael Chabon was brought in to revise the material. The film was produced by Jim Morris, Colin Wilson, and Lindsey Collins.

Cast and Creative Assembly

Taylor Kitsch anchored the title role of John Carter, a former Confederate Army captain whose accidental activation of a Thern medallion transports him from 1868 Arizona Territory to the dying planet Barsoom. He was joined by a substantial ensemble: Lynn Collins as Princess Dejah Thoris, Samantha Morton as Sola, Mark Strong as Sab Than, Ciarán Hinds as Matai Shang, Dominic West as Tal Hajus, James Purefoy as Tars Tarkas, and Willem Dafoe as Colonel Powell. The musical score was composed by Michael Giacchino, a longtime collaborator with Pixar. The film carried a dedication to Steve Jobs, the late CEO and majority shareholder of Pixar before Disney's 2006 acquisition, mirroring the dedication on Pixar's Brave released that same year. Principal photography kicked off in November 2009, with full production running from January to July 2010 — a seven-month shoot. The film was presented in Disney Digital 3D, RealD 3D, and IMAX 3D formats, signaling Disney's commitment to immersive presentation.

Box Office Collapse and Industry Fallout

John Carter's theatrical run, which opened in the United States on March 9, 2012 — coinciding with the centennial of the character's first appearance — produced a financial disaster that reverberated through Hollywood. Despite setting an opening-day record in Russia, the film grossed only $284 million worldwide against a total cost of approximately $350 million, including an estimated production budget of $263 million. Disney recorded a $200 million writedown, and the film's estimated loss, adjusted for inflation, places it as the largest box-office loss in history at $149–265 million. Critics offered mixed reviews, praising the visuals, Giacchino's score, and action sequences while faulting the characterization and plot. The promotional campaign has been widely described as one of the worst in movie history. The consequences were immediate and severe: Disney scrapped the planned sequels Gods of Mars and Warlord of Mars, effectively ending the trilogy Stanton had envisioned.

Narrative Structure and World-Building

The film employs a framing device set in 1881, where Edgar Rice Burroughs inherits the estate and journal of his late uncle, John Carter, a former Confederate captain. The bulk of the narrative unfolds in flashback to 1868, when Carter, fleeing Apache pursuit in the Arizona Territory, accidentally triggers a Thern medallion and is transported to Barsoom. The lower gravity grants him extraordinary leaping ability and strength. The central conflict pits the Red Martian kingdoms of Helium and Zodanga, locked in a millennium-long war, against the manipulative Therns, who feed on planetary resources and orchestrate civil strife. Carter must mediate between the warring factions while confronting Sab Than, the Zodangan Jeddak, and Matai Shang, the Thern leader. Key set pieces include an arena battle against Great White-Apes and a Thark army assault on Zodanga. The story closes with Carter choosing to remain on Mars, discarding his medallion, before Shang forces him back to Earth for a years-long quest to find another medallion.