Andrew Stanton

Collider Visits the Set of JOHN CARTER

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: February 9th, 2012 at 9:07 am

“Barsoom” reads a sign on the outskirts of the movie set we’re about to visit.  “Barsoom” is what Martians call their planet in Edgar Rice Burroughs‘ A Princess of Mars.  A group of my fellow online movie journalists and I are headed to the set of Andrew Stanton‘s adaptation of the classic sci-fi novel, John Carter.  Mars may technically be in Big Water, Utah, but today we’ll be walking the ruins of an ancient Martian city, meeting a princess who bleeds blue, and a nine-foot-tall nomad tribe of warriors.  Hit the jump to take a trip to the red planet and find out about my visit to the set of John Carter.

Director and Co-Writer Andrew Stanton JOHN CARTER Set Visit Interview

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: February 9th, 2012 at 9:06 am

Making the move from directing animation to live-action was the big question facing Andrew Stanton when I visited the set of John Carter in April 2010.  Stanton had already delivered two amazing Pixar movies with Finding Nemo and WALL-E, but he headed to Mars with John Carter and Mars was a mix of live-action and CG.  Stanton was refreshingly honest about the transition and how the two mediums compare.  He also talked about his frustrations with the live-action process, how the film isn’t in post-production but “Principal Digital Photography”, the process of adapting the book, trying to flesh out the main characters, where they’re at with the planned sequels, and more.

Hit the jump to check out the interview.  John Carter opens in 3D on March 9th.

Willem Dafoe and Thomas Haden Church JOHN CARTER Set Visit Intervew

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: February 9th, 2012 at 9:06 am

Tharks, the green-skinned, six-limbed creatures living on Mars in John Carter are about nine feet tall.  Great actors though they are, Willem Dafoe and Thomas Haden Church, are not nine feet tall.  Even though they’re wearing the standard motion-capture grey leotards and tracking dots, there’s no accounting for height…unless you add stilts.  Watching Dafoe and Church march around on stilts is one of the high-lights of any set visit I’ve gone to.

With a sandstorm whipping into our faces and into our microphones, my fellow movie journalists and I spoke to Dafoe and Church on the set of John Carter.  In addition to talking about the stilts, we spoke about the scene they were currently filming, their characters, how doing motion-capture on set helped their performances, and more.  Hit the jump to check out the interview.  John Carter opens in 3D on March 9th.

Lynn Collins JOHN CARTER Set Visit Interview

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: February 9th, 2012 at 9:05 am

Andrew Stanton‘s John Carter is based off the novel A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs.  Lynn Collins plays the novel’s eponymous princess, Dejah Thoris.  But rather than a damsel in distress waiting for the Earthman John Carter (Taylor Kitsch) to come to her rescue, she can hold her own and kick some ass. When I went to the set of John Carter with some of my fellow movie bloggers, Collins spoke to us about her martial arts training, Dejah’s fighting style training, the three hours it takes to cover her body in intricate tattoos, what the tattoos mean, and more.  “John Carter” may be the title of the movie, but don’t be surprised if we’re paying just as much attention to the Princess of Mars.

Hit the jump to check out the interview.  John Carter opens in 3D on March 9th.

New Posters for JOHN CARTER, 21 JUMP STREET and MIRROR MIRROR

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: February 2nd, 2012 at 8:27 pm

Seeing as it’s already February and that little furry rodent has predicted six more weeks of winter, we thought we’d take a look ahead to some March movie releases. Coincidentally, three big March movies have recently released new posters. First up is Disney’s March 9^th release, John Carter, starring Taylor Kitsch as a Civil War vet transplanted onto Mars, in an Andrew Stanton-directed picture. Next is the Phil Lord and Chris Miller-directed 21 Jump Street, a March 16^th release starring Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum as two screw-up cops who infiltrate a local high school drug ring. Finally, we have a new poster from the Tarsem Singh project, Mirror Mirror, a Snow White adaptation featuring Lily Collins and Julia Roberts which opens March 30^th. Hit the jump to see the new posters.

Sneak Peek at JOHN CARTER Super Bowl TV Spot

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: January 30th, 2012 at 6:04 pm

The Super Bowl is less than a week away, which means we’re that much closer to a whole lotta football movie trailers. Studios will be taking advantage of the most watched television event of the year by showcasing a bevy of their upcoming releases. Sometimes these TV spots can be used to pique interest in material that general audiences were previously skeptical about (I remember Iron Man rocking everyone’s world a few years back). Disney is no doubt hoping to do the same with John Carter. The big-budget sci-fi adaptation is an incredibly tough sell, and it’ll be interesting to see how the film’s Super Bowl spot goes over. I’m a huge fan of director Andrew Stanton (Wall-E) so I’m really hoping the film delivers, but I’m not entirely sure moviegoers will be rushing to theaters once the film opens.

Nevertheless, Disney has released a snippet of the Super Bowl spot online for your viewing pleasure. It’s incredibly short, but that’s to be expected from a trailer for a 30-second commercial. Hit the jump to check it out. The film stars Taylor Kitsch, Willem Dafoe, Lynn Collins, and Mark Strong. John Carter opens in 3D March 9th.

Brad Bird, Andrew Stanton, and Lee Unkrich Tweet-Confirm Paul Thomas Anderson Shooting THE MASTER on 65mm

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: January 12th, 2012 at 3:17 pm

Despite being a sounding board for the woes and whines of anyone with a computer and/or phone, Twitter can actually be pretty cool sometimes. Case in point: last night Pixar directors/all-around awesome guys Brad Bird (The Incredibles), Andrew Stanton (Wall-E) and Lee Unkrich (Toy Story 3) participated in a Twitter conversation about the merits of 70mm exhibition and 65mm shooting. The conversation alone would have been enough to satisfy any cinephile, but a tidbit of exciting news came out of the back-and-forth. Stanton, who’s set to release his live-action debut John Carter this March, tweeted the following:

“The Master is indeed in 65. They nearly lost a camera shooting in the Bay.”

The Master is the working title of Paul Thomas Anderson’s highly anticipated new drama, and it appears he shot the pic in the high-resolution format. Hit the jump for more.

Japanese Trailer for JOHN CARTER

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: December 26th, 2011 at 10:22 am

I can write up international trailers all day if I need to.  Especially if they are in Japanese to promote Taylor Kitsch movies.  This round, it’s John Carter, with plenty of new footage from the sci-fi epic.  During the holiday movie season, I have seen John Carter footage up on the big screen a few times now, and I think it has the potential to look spectacular at feature length.  I have not yet connected with the story, but I give Andrew Stanton, the writer/director behind WALL·E, the benefit of the doubt.  Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol finally proved once and for all that an animation director—and specifically a Pixar graduate in Brad Bird—can make the leap to big-budget live-action successfully.  Stanton has the material, passion, and skills to follow suit.

Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins, Willem Dafoe, Mark Strong, Bryan Cranston, Thomas Haden Church, and James Purefoy star.  John Carter opens in 3D on March 9, 2012.  Watch the new trailer after the break.

2 TV Spots and New Images from JOHN CARTER Starring Taylor Kitsch

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: December 16th, 2011 at 1:56 pm

Two new TV spots and a batch of new images have been released for director Andrew Stanton’s (Wall-E) John Carter. Based on Edgar Rice Burroughs’ novel John Carter of Mars, the film tells the story of a former Confederate soldier who is inexplicably transported to Mars where he finds himself in the middle of an epic war between the planet’s inhabitants. The more I see of John Carter the better I feel about it, and these TV spots are no exception. They bring the epic scope of the project into focus, and promise a multitude of creatures, battles, and pretty lights! I’m a huge fan of Stanton’s work at Pixar and I’m hoping he delivers here.

Hit the jump to check out the TV spots and images. The film stars Taylor Kitsch, Willem Dafoe, Lynn Collins, Samantha Morton, Mark Strong, Ciaran Hinds, Dominic West, James Purefoy, Daryl Sabara, Polly Walker, Bryan Cranston, and Thomas Hayden Church. John Carter opens in 3D on March 9th.

Andrew Stanton Explains Why JOHN CARTER Dropped “of Mars” from Title; also Talks about Trying to Change Live-Action Filmmaking

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: December 5th, 2011 at 8:55 am

Did you know that marketing decisions can be condescending and sexist?  It’s true! (and those two qualities usually go hand-in-hand so you shouldn’t be surprised)  I’ve been puzzled as to why Disney changed the title of John Carter to John Carter of Mars.  To me, “of Mars” is the hook.  John Carter is “Some Guy” particular because of his generic name.  If his name was “Captain Billyboots Spaceship” then I can see dropping the “of Mars”.  So why did half the title disappear?

Director Andrew Stanton recently told BleedingCool that the title had already been changed from A Princess of Mars because it was a “truth” that boys wouldn’t go see it if they kept author Edgar Rice Burroughs’ original title. But then, when they changed it to John Carter of Mars, Stanton believed it was also a “truth” that girls wouldn’t see it because apparently girls hate planets.  So the compromise was to make it John Carter and now no one will see it.  Hit the jump for more from Stanton and my thoughts on this idiotic decision.

Full Trailer for JOHN CARTER Starring Taylor Kitsch

by Brendan Bettinger    Posted: November 30th, 2011 at 9:24 pm

Good Morning America had a sneak peek of the new John Carter trailer earlier today, which probably wasn’t the best way to present a hard sell to an unfamiliar audience, not to mention a critical group of fans ready to tear into the film adaptation that dropped the most interesting half of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ John Carter of Mars. Disney followed up quickly with the full trailer that gives you a better sense of the film.  It looks big, like the event film that Disney needs it to be.

Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins, Willem Dafoe, Mark Strong, Bryan Cranston, Thomas Haden Church, and James Purefoy star in director Andrew Stanton‘s first live-action feature. John Carter opens in 3D on March 9, 2012.  Watch the trailer after the jump.

“Sneak Peek” at New Trailer for JOHN CARTER

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: November 30th, 2011 at 8:45 am

A new trailer for director Andrew Stanton‘s John Carter has been released. The film centers on a former Confederate soldier who is inexplicably transported to Mars where he finds himself in the middle of a epic war between the planet’s inhabitants. The trailer (or at least the cut that aired on Good Morning America) is short and not sweet. It features lines like “That don’t look like a fair fight,” and “We did not cause this, but we will end it!” Hoo-boy.

Hit the jump to check out the trailer. The film stars Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins, Willem Dafoe, Mark Strong, Bryan Cranston, Thomas Haden Church, and James Purefoy. John Carter opens in 3D on March 9, 2012. [Update: Stanton has tweeted [via @Illusion0fLife] that the full trailer will air tonight online and during Jimmy Kimmel Live. ] [2nd Update: Disney has asked us to refer to this as a "sneak peek" of the trailer.  That means it's a preview of a trailer, which is the idiotic world of double-marketing we live in.  If you want to see the full trailer in all its wonder, it will run tonight at 9:00pm PST on IGN]

New Images from JOHN CARTER

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: November 26th, 2011 at 10:58 am

Last week a new image from Wall-E director Andrew Stanton’s John Carter popped up online, and now six more images have been unveiled in anticipation of the new trailer dropping next Thursday. Based on Edgar Rice Burroughs’s John Carter of Mars, the sci-fi pic tells the story of a former Confederate soldier who is transported to Mars right in the middle of an epic conflict between the planet’s inhabitants. I wasn’t exactly wowed by the first trailer, so I’m hoping this new one looks more promising. These images are pretty cool, and give us a look at some neat creatures from the film (including Tars Tarkas played by Willem Dafoe), but the film still looks like an incredibly hard sell to general audiences. Hopefully this new trailer will alleviate concerns, as I think Stanton’s an extremely talented filmmaker.

Hit the jump to check out the images. The film also stars Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins, Samantha Morton, Mark Strong, Ciaran Hinds, Dominic West, James Purefoy, Daryl Sabara, Polly Walker, Bryan Cranston, and Thomas Hayden Church. John Carter opens in 3D on March 9th.

D23 Live Action Recap: THE MUPPETS, JOHN CARTER, OZ: THE GREAT AND POWERFUL and THE AVENGERS

by Tommy Cook    Posted: August 20th, 2011 at 10:32 pm

Disney’s D23 Expo (the D standing in for Disney; 23 being a reference to the founding year of the studio – 1923) is kind of sorta like Comic Con, except more family friendly, cleaner, smaller, not as crowded, better smelling. And blue. I swear –it seemed like everything at the Expo was blue.  The seats in the auditorium, the rug on the show room floors, the gelled up lights, the screen – all blue. Hell – even the press packet folder was stripped in the color. At times, I felt like I was watching a latter day Derek Jarman flick.

The big highly anticipated panel of D23 – Walt Disney’s presentation (i.e. shilling) of their upcoming slate of films did not disappoint. So jam-packed was the three hour presentation, I’m forced to split my coverage into two parts. The first herein will focus on Disney’s upcoming live action films, whereas the second will cover their forthcoming animated films. Exclusive footage and clips were shown from the likes of The Muppets, John Carter (formerly of Mars), the just-started-shooting Oz: The Great and Powerful and, of course, The Avengers. For descriptions and impressions of the footage shown, hit the jump.  And for coverage on the live action portion of the panel, featuring Brave, Monsters University, Frankenweenie, and Wreck-It Ralph, click here.

Teaser Trailer for JOHN CARTER

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: July 14th, 2011 at 8:30 am

The teaser trailer for John Carter has landed online. I’m not exactly sure what to make of this film.  Some parts look incredibly cheesy (“You may be the only one who can save us!”) while others look like a good, old-fashioned adventure flick.  I hope its the latter because some of the designs are great  and the special effects look pretty sweet.  You can also click here for what Steve thought when he visited the editing bay.

Hit the jump to check out the teaser trailer.  The film stars Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins, Willem Dafoe, Mark Strong, Bryan Cranston, Thomas Haden Church, and James Purefoy.  John Carter opens March 9, 2012. The US trailer is set to go online later today and if it’s different than this one we’ll update the story.

Copyright ©2005 - 2012. All Rights Reserved. California web design