John Carter of Mars

I've been very excited about Pixar making an Edgar Rice Burroughs John Carter of Mars film. With this cast I'm even more excited. Willem DeFoe and Samantha Morton!? This is great news!

'John Carter of Mars' nets three more actors

Thomas Haden Church, James Purefoy and Mark Strong have joined the cast of joined “John Carter of Mars,” Disney’s adaptation of the Edgar Rice Burroughs book series that Andrew Stanton is directing.

Taylor Kitsch and Lynn Collins topline the production, which centers on a Civil War veteran (Kitsch) who finds himself mysteriously transported to Mars, where he becomes embroiled with the planet’s warring people.

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.

Also in the movie are Willem Dafoe, Samantha Morton, Dominic West, and Polly Walker.

Stanton wrote the screenplay with Mark Andrews. Jim Morris and Colin Wilson are producing “Mars,” which is eyeing a start early next year. Brigham Taylor is overseeing for the studio.

Church, repped by WME, has “Easy A” from Screen Gems in the can while Purefoy, repped by CAA and Brillstein Entertainment Partners, recently starred in TV’s “The Philanthropist.” ICM-repped Strong will next be seen as the villain in “Sherlock Holmes.”

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