Fans of classic science fiction have something big to look forward to. An all-new animated series based on Edgar Rice Burroughs’ legendary John Carter of Mars novels is officially in development.
The project is being spearheaded by the author’s estate in collaboration with showrunner Michael Kogge, and the very first sneak peek will be unveiled this Friday during a Burroughs-themed panel at San Diego Comic-Con.
Burroughs first introduced readers to John Carter in 1912 with the serialized story Under the Moons of Mars, later published as the novel A Princess of Mars. It follows Civil War veteran John Carter who mysteriously finds himself on Mars, known to its inhabitants as Barsoom, where he becomes a warrior and fights epic battles against alien species and monstrous beasts.
These stories were fun just pulp entertainment, but they also helped shape modern science fiction. Alongside Flash Gordon, Burroughs’ tales influenced the likes of Star Wars creator George Lucas and Avatar director James Cameron.
The franchise saw a high-profile live-action adaptation in 2012 with Disney’s John Carter, directed by Andrew Stanton, but the film became infamous for its box office failure despite its massive budget and ambitious scope. I actually liked the movie!
Decades before that, there were even attempts to bring the story to animation. Burroughs’ son, John Coleman Burroughs, once partnered with Looney Tunes animator Bob Clampett to pitch MGM on a series of animated shorts, but the idea was rejected.
Now, over a century after its creation, John Carter of Mars is finally getting the animated treatment it deserves, and according to Kogge, the timing couldn’t be better.
“In this era of incredible animation, with shows like Castlevania, Blood of Zeus and Twilight of the Gods pushing the genre of fantasy action-adventure to new heights, there couldn’t be a better time for the Martian saga of John Carter and Princess Dejah Thoris to be told through bold, ground-breaking animation,” he said in a statement.
Kogge recently adapted the novels into an audio series featuring Sean Patrick Flannery, Bruce Boxleitner, and Star Wars legend Ian McDiarmid. He’ll be joined on the animated series by Jim Sullos and Wolf Larson, representing Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc.
Sullos also expressed his excitement about bringing this iconic story to life in animated form:
“The explosive rise of action-adventure animation has captivated audiences around the world, making it the perfect moment to launch our John Carter animated series. This marks a new era in storytelling for the Edgar Rice Burroughs universe and we’re excited that Michael Kogge will help bring Mars to life.”
With the success of adult-oriented animated hits and renewed interest in Burroughs’ work, this series could finally give John Carter the epic screen adaptation fans have been waiting for.
Expect more details, and hopefully some stunning visuals, at Comic-Con this Friday.
Source: The Wrap
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