Disney's John Carter is a movie that’s been in development for over two decades. Numerous filmmakers have attempted to tackle Edgar Rice Burroughs’s source material (published 100 years ago), and Andrew Stanton (Wall-E) is the director who finally brought the story to life. In order to transport Taylor Kitsch’s title character to a creature-infested Mars, a great deal of visual effects work was needed. Nearly 13 minutes of behind-the-scenes footage from the making of John Carter have been released that give us a glimpse into how Stanton pulled it all off. We see models built during the conception stage, Willem Dafoe walking around on stilts in order to portray a towering Thark, how Stanton got Kitsch to make those giant leaps, and even composer Michael Giacchino (Lost, Star Trek) hard at work on the film’s score.Hit the jump to check out the footage, as well as three new clips from the film. The sci-fi pic also stars Thomas Haden Church, Mark Strong, Lynn Collins, and Samantha Morton. John Carter opens in 3D on March 9th.For more John Carter coverage: over 95 high resolution images, a new clip, featurette, and TV spot, and Matt’s set visit overview and interviews with co-writer/director Andrew Stanton, Taylor Kitsch, Willem Dafoe and Thomas Haden Church, Lynn Collins, and Samantha Morton.Behind the Scenes Footage4 ClipsHere’s the official synopsis for John Carter:

From Academy Award(R)-winning filmmaker Andrew Stanton comes “John Carter”–a sweeping action-adventure set on the mysterious and exotic planet of Barsoom (Mars). “John Carter” is based on a classic novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs, whose highly imaginative adventures served as inspiration for many filmmakers, both past and present. The film tells the story of war-weary, former military captain John Carter (Taylor Kitsch), who is inexplicably transported to Mars where he becomes reluctantly embroiled in a conflict of epic proportions amongst the inhabitants of the planet, including Tars Tarkas (Willem Dafoe) and the captivating Princess Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins). In a world on the brink of collapse, Carter rediscovers his humanity when he realizes that the survival of Barsoom and its people rests in his hands.