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Quint forces Jon Favreau to spill all about JOHN CARTER OF MARS!!!
Ahoy, squirts! Quint here with a long chat full of information on how Jon Favreau is approaching his directorial duties on JOHN CARTER OF MARS. I interviewed him for ZATHURA, but considering I've now done two interviews with him on the film (read here for interview one as part of my set report and here's interview two from Comic-Con), so we spent 27 minutes of our 30 minute interview talking about JOHN CARTER.
We go over what the current status is on the script, how he slipped into the director's chair, how he's planning on adapting Edgar Rice Burroughs' fantastic novel and why he really wants to do the project. I'm really proud of this interview and I just love the genuine enthusiasm Favreau has for this project, the respect he has for the Burroughs novels and his overall honesty on what's currently going on with the film. Enjoy the chat!
QUINT: So... big news in your life at the moment, eh?
JON FAVREAU: Yeah, me doing JOHN CARTER is the film geek equivalent of me dating Jennifer Anniston. Now everybody all of a sudden has a personal stake in my career.
QUINT: Well, it's good for ZATHURA, too. Now the sci-fi geeks will want to see the movie to see how you handle the genre.
JON FAVREAU: Which is actually really good because up until recently it was on the kids' radars a lot and now it's going to have to stand up to the scrutiny of the sci-fi fans, but we put in the work, so I'm really curious to see how people respond because it definitely was a different approach to what is going on now in science fiction.
To jump to JOHN CARTER a little bit, here I am stepping in and the last two directors who have been attached have a very different approach to filmmaking than I do. They're both real Jack of All Trades, they both do a lot of different things on their films, especially (Robert) Rodriguez, who seemingly does every aspect of filmmaking. I'm much more specialized. I don't have that group of skills. I tend to be somebody who focuses more on the storytelling and then bring in people who are really good at what they do and are inspired by the material. Together we form a strategy based on the overriding thrust of the film.
QUINT: Well, both Kerry Conran and Robert Rodriguez are both heavy CG users. On ZATHURA you made a big deal about using as many models and practical effects as possible...
JON FAVREAU: Right. I think that the main goal for me as a filmmaker, being that I come from acting and then writing, is to approach it from the humanity of the characters. I haven't really responded to the approach that had been taking yet in the adaptation in the little bit that I've seen, but I found that the books themselves, specifically the first one, is a perfect myth in the Joseph Campbell sense. All you have to do is maintain the integrity of that myth and you have a story that could sustain a great deal of special effects and a great deal of visual fireworks, but you have to maintain the integrity of what Burroughs tapped in to.
The John Carter character is very archetypical and that's what was intriguing about this material is if you stand fast to what was there, you can have a lot of fun visually. I think that was ultimately the strength of the STAR WARS films, especially the first one, which stuck very close to the myth. Joseph Campbell himself even acknowledged that the STAR WARS story was right up there with world religions as far as how true it was to the mythological aspects of it.
That's what's exciting. As a director, that gives you something to hang on to that could sustain you even past a single film. That's why LORD OF THE RINGS was so strong. Again, you had a mythology that you were depending on and were sticking close to. On the films that I've worked on, I've had to impose that and really struggle to keep that aspect of it, because they were so mundane. You know, MADE and SWINGERS and ELF, but it's there. I mean, I really tried to.
So, this is very exciting. I feel like I'm at a point in my career where I've done enough different things. I understand the technical aspects enough to conduct a lot of other talented people around the technical aspects of it while still maintaining a very strong connection to the characters and the romance involved in the book.
QUINT: What's great about the book is that each and every action set piece goes to further either John Carter's quest or strengthen his love for Dejah Thoris. The visual eye candy, if adapted correctly for the material, won't be hollow, you know?
JON FAVREAU: That's right.
QUINT: Especially in the first couple books there is very little fat. Everything that happens is moving the story forward.
JON FAVREAU: There are issues in the book that have to be solved. There are things that don't lend themselves perfectly plot-wise, but thematically it's very strong and very true and as long as you have that spine you can solve those problems.
My instinct is going to be to take it maybe a different way than (how) most people would approach this. Most people would approach this as an epic. I would approach it as a very personal story. I would approach it as not the story of the book, but the story of the manuscripts within the book. Cut right to the story of John Carter and not take all that time framing it because that tends to make it a little more important and little bit more precious than it should be for general audiences. It may satisfy purists to use every page of the book, but my first instinct is to just make it about John Carter.
QUINT: Well, if LORD OF THE RINGS proved anything, if you get the essence of what the book was trying to and capture the spirit of the book, most of the hardcore fans will forgive you telling the story in a different way.
JON FAVREAU: They will like it if it makes them feel the same way reading the book made them feel. So, when I look at it I don't look at it as a big epic. I don't even look at it in the scope of LORD OF THE RINGS. Maybe eventually it gets to that point, but looking at mass CG battles gets... It's kinda interesting the first time you see it, but if you keep going to that over the course of a movie it tends to create distance emotionally. It's like watching a video game.
QUINT: Well, it depends on how you do it. I think the reason the Pelennor Fields battle in RETURN OF THE KING worked so well is that Jackson focused on single elements in the larger battle, following characters we've come to care for and focusing on them, not just faraway shots of CG people fighting. It's the same thing if you have an army of 10,000 extras. That'll get old unless you focus on the developed characters...
JON FAVREAU: That's right. That's right... you know, BRAVEHEART was very effective. But I think the first time people saw Massive rendering a battle scene it was just mind blowing in the technology. Now you've seen it. Now it is like watching a Cecil B. DeMille thousand extras scene. The pageantry of it doesn't forgive you poor storytelling.
So, my in to the film is to keep it very personal and small in the beginning. One of the movies I point to as I talk to the studio and people who I want to collaborate with is the first PLANET OF THE APES. It didn't bend itself out of shape trying to explain the technology behind it. They really made it a personal journey about somebody in a strange land learning about a strange culture in a strange society and eventually getting to a point where he understands it and could communicate with them.
But really, ultimately, you have to dial into what this guy is experiencing if this really were happening. The story is so fantastic that the responsibility of the filmmakers is to put it in a context that the audience can emotionally connect to. If that connection exists and is maintained, you can push all of these things. There's going to be no lack of excitement, visual excitement.
The other big challenge is the Tharks. How do you create a cast of characters that is an alien race that...
QUINT: That doesn't just look like a man in a suit?
JON FAVREAU: That doesn't look like... on one side a guy in a suit...
QUINT: Or a big CGI blob...
JON FAVREAU: Yeah, you got the two choices. You have sort of the BATTLEFIELD EARTH route to go, where you take a human and make them as different as you can size-wise and physically, which I don't think you totally buy, or you go the Gollum route, which is very expensive and ultimately I think that if you had 6 Gollums talking to each other I don't know that you could differentiate them that well, although it worked very well for one. Also, performances suffer.
What I would like to do is find a way to base it around performers so that I could actually cast people as Tharks and not just their voices to be behind CG puppets. That being said, I have to see what the state of the art CG does right now, but my sense is that it's a mixture of practical with some sort of CG augmentation to help sell how they're different from people. I don't to just put big shoes on them and rubber arms.
That's going to be the challenge, in doing a lot of research. I think that PLANET OF THE APES, the first one, even though the make-up was sort of restrictive of the movement of the faces and I wouldn't want to go completely down that route, I did feel that you were able to differentiate the apes. You knew it was Roddy McDowell in there and it was a wonderful performance and there was emotion involved.
I was talking to one of the people who previously worked on this movie in the art department and we were talking about Boris Karloff's performance in FRANKENSTEIN. His face was Boris Karloff and his performance, but it was augmented and built upon with prosthetics. Pretty extensive low-tech prosthetics. It was pre-Latex. I mean, it was like a terrible process and the stuff would melt, but somehow it didn't interfere with the performance. There has to be a digital equivalent of that now.
I think the biggest challenge is to humanize the Tharks and that speaks to how you would write the story and how much you'd have to thin out those characters for the sake of being cinematic.
QUINT: All I gotta say about the Tharks is Keith David.
JON FAVREAU: You like Keith David. Thanks to his voice?
QUINT: I do hear his voice when I read Tars Tarkis.
JON FAVREAU: The other interesting thing is I've been getting the information from people who have been involved with this project... I had no idea of the 75 year struggle of development that's been on this film.
QUINT: Like the cartoon?
JON FAVREAU: Everything. You mean concurrent with SNOW WHITE at Disney? That cartoon?
QUINT: Yeah.
JON FAVREAU: Yeah. Everybody has either tried to get the rights or tried to get involved with it. The more I talk to people it feels like I'm Jack Nicholson in CHINATOWN as I'm, like, learning all the intricacies and talking and having conversations with people who are very passionate and have a history with this thing. It's very overwhelming to think of all these talented people who have been involved with this thing and haven't been able to crack this nut and I'm just hoping that the technology has created a tipping point that has made this very readable story now filmable.
It really is exciting, that whole aspect of it is really intriguing and I can see myself burying into this movie for years to come.
QUINT: You said that you don't think they've cracked the movie, yet...
JON FAVREAU: Script-wise, yet.
QUINT: So, are you going to go to someone other than Ehren Kruger?
JON FAVREAU: Yeah, I think we have to find somebody with a much more traditional take on the material that keeps closer to the books. I've never met with Ehren. I know that as a writer once you've worked on a project for so long and it hasn't moved any further to getting made, I get frustrated as a writer. We may need some new blood in there. I don't know how much of what he wrote were choices that were forced upon or how much came from him. I know that the drafts didn't really speak to me, in a sense of what I thought was appealing about the books.
I think you just have to find somebody who's very good with structure. Remember, I'm always there to help with the characters, the humanity, the dialogue. I'm not trying to reinvent these characters, I'm just trying to find their essence. I'm very confident in my understanding as a writer and as a director of the human dynamic between these people. What I need is somebody who could help break the back of this piece structurally, so you're not forced to make tough decisions about what can stay and can go.
I think there are set pieces that we can build around, but there are problems to be solved logistically about the language, technically about the physiology of the aliens and the alien creatures. The one thing I'm not worried about, however, is trying to reinvent it because it's too similar to all the movies that have picked the bones of this material for the last, you know, close to 100 years. I don't mind that it's close to STAR WARS or FLASH GORDON. Really, anything in science-fiction that dealt with similar issues since has drawn a lot from Burroughs. But I think the fact that since it's been around since then gives you the freedom to go right after it and not be afraid of being similar in certain ways to other things that have subsequently come. You know, I'm going fly right at it. I'm not gonna be scared of it.
QUINT: Since the script didn't connect with you, you must have been in the fortunate position of telling the studio you want a brand new script, even though they've already paid for this one... and I'm sure they agreed if you signed onto the film...
JON FAVREAU: Well, it's a new regime and that was part of what was cool. I was meeting with Brad Weston who I had known since before he was at Paramount. We had been trying to work with each other because we had both come from comedy. After we had gone through all the comedy projects... to be honest at my age, I'm getting close to 40 now, I don't really have a new take on comedy that I haven't done already.
I'm at a different point in my directing career where I actually want to do things visually and cinematically and I want to explore technologies while maintaining the emotional aspect of storytelling, but I'm not that irreverent in my tastes anymore. I'm a father now, I'm married. I'm not keyed into the same things I was keyed in to when I did SWINGERS, so this is the type of move that's really appealing to me at my core.
I know that my 4 year old... You know, I read JOHN CARTER to him when I put him to sleep at night and he's transfixed with it, even though he doesn't completely understand it. This is something that appeals to me not just as a filmmaker, but spiritually I think there is a really wonderful story to tell here.
After we had our big meeting with Brad and there wasn't any projects that seemed appealing with sort of the usual suspects of comedy and the usual concepts that accompany them... Those films are very lucrative and very funny and I enjoy watching them, but I don't know that I really have a take on that genre now.
At the very end, as we're paying the check, I said, "What's going on with JOHN CARTER?" And he said that it was sort of reaching a cross-roads and may be available because of what was happening with any number of aspects of it; be it the script, be it the change in the regime, be it what Kerry was going to be doing with his career. I'm not really sure, but there was a ray of hope that this material might be available.
I then looked over the source material and as it was indeed available, and the rights were coming up for renewal, they were about to lose the rights, I came in and gave a take on the material.
The basic take was: Stay true to the books, keep it intimate. Keep it emotionally true. Don't try to turn this into something it isn't. I think that take, in addition to what they may have heard about ZATHURA and the success of ELF, gave them the confidence to take the leap. They talked to the (Burroughs) Estate and the Estate then offered to extend the rights based on my involvement in the piece. That was very flattering to me.
As a result, I feel that I'm indebted, in a way, to the Estate. I want to stay very true to what Burroughs would have done and I know that Burroughs had foregone a lot of opportunities to make this into a movie because it did not maintain the spirit of the books. So, without being precious and without feeling confined by the plot of it, I definitely want to be true to the spirit of the story.
QUINT: So, then I take it that John Carter will still be a Civil War soldier?
JON FAVREAU: Yeah, and I've already mentioned this to them. I looked at that aspect of it. I think it is a story that would apply very well to today's soldiers, but I think it could do so more symbolically. If you really did change him to someone coming back from the Middle East it doesn't tell the complete story. First of all, he couldn't be a horseman and he couldn't be a swordsman.
QUINT: Him being a swordsman is such a huge part of the books is so essential for the image of John Carter.
JON FAVREAU: Well, it adds to the plausibility of the character. You're already cheating on the gravity, making him do super, you know, STARSHIP TROOPER leaps. It's already gonna be stylized. You're already taking a lot of artist license with the nature of life on Mars. You're already asking people to make a tremendous leap with the way he gets transported there, without asking a million questions. I don't want to undermine the plausibility anymore.
And I also think that being an officer in an army that no longer exists really speaks to his character and what makes him who he is. I think to sacrifice that you would lose aspects of the character that you don't even notice in a development meeting, but ultimately when you see the movie and write the script it would undermine the film.
My way around it is, "Don't spend too much time in the back story! Get to Mars pretty fast!" The manuscripts begin with him in the desert with his buddy, they're attacked by Indians and he's on Mars. I want to get to Mars!
In PLANET OF THE APES, the more that was explained in the later films really undermined the plausibility for me. When he (Chuck Heston) just showed up and got out of the capsule I didn't ask any questions. For some reason it all made sense. And the payoff with the Statue of Liberty really worked. It's not like I didn't understand enough. I understood just based on the little bit of exposition that snuck through. Same thing with ALIEN. I understood everything I needed to understand from that. And STAR WARS as well. I don't think more exposition is necessarily better. If that were the case, people would love Episodes 1, 2 and 3 more than 4, 5 and 6, but I don't think that's the case. I think people get their left brain fed and their right brain isn't entertained enough.
I think you have to stay true to the myth, be conscious of the emotional truth to the characters and the romance and all the rest of the stuff will fall into place behind it.
QUINT: Are you keeping any of Kerry's art team?
JON FAVREAU: I really like not just what Kerry had assembled as far as his group of people, but in talking to people who had been collaborating with him, his sensibility ultimately was not that far off from what my instincts on the material were. I think he was dealing with a different cast of characters at the studio, I think developing such a large project is a little bit overwhelming for somebody who doesn't have the political experience with the studios and I think that directors bring different skill sets to the equation.
I'm very fortunate in that I came up as an actor, then as a writer, through independent film and I've been around several times and I sort of understand how to get my priorities served. But unfortunately as a filmmaker sometimes it's a political dance and I know the old regime was a very difficult place even for me to get anything done. There were a lot of projects that I had that were languishing there because it was difficult for my concerns to be appreciated. It was a different time, a different generation.
And Kerry came to it with his vast skills as a filmmaker and his technical skills and his visual skills are up there with anybody, but you're really throwing somebody into the lion's den by having him try to do some potentially very lucrative and big career defining franchise for a studio, that could make or break a studio, with people who had been around a lot longer than him.
I think that if it had been truer to what his instincts were it may have gone a bit differently and he might not have been turned off to the process as much. My understanding is that there's a lot of other stuff that he could pursue where he doesn't have to concern himself with that aspect as much.
QUINT: The look of the film... You know, I have the '70s hardcover series with Frazetta's...
JON FAVREAU: I got (them), too. To me, my whole in to this material is the Frazetta paintings. Much in the way that for the Conan movies, (John) Milius' in was the Frazetta paintings. That becomes the be all and end all. From there you have the (William) Stout drawings and you have the iterations that came visually that were inspired by the books.
I even have the old Golden Key comic books. I've just stripped eBay. Anybody who has been bidding on John Carter stuff has gotten it sniped from them by me over the last few months. But I sort of want to put it all into my mind and then begin to do tests to see what technology right now can offer and find that we may be at the time where the pendulum has swung back and forth between the old Yoda and the new Yoda. There might be something in the middle that has the best of both worlds.
So, the technology is going to speak to the storytelling a lot, but as far as the look I think the Frazetta... Well, the Frazetta paintings were up on my walls in the production offices of ZATHURA. If you look at the Zorgons, you look at the armor that was designed by Stan Winston for these Lizard-men, its all very much inspired by the Thark armor.
When it was announced originally that Rodriguez was doing it, my whole art department was like, "Oh, man! Look!" because we were sort of drawing from the same stuff. I think it was announced, too, that Frazetta was somehow involved with it. It's so funny how all the filmmakers of my generation sort of share a common set of influences, especially the geekier ones. I know that Rodriguez is a huge Conan fan and we all sort of get excited by the same type of stuff.
So, when the thing rolled over a few times and then became available I was very excited that I was now in a position to really seize upon that opportunity. But I've been looking over all the stuff that the other filmmakers before me, even pre-Conran and Rodriguez, have been doing. I think that people have really cared about this and are passionate about it and I welcome anything that anybody's done right before me. I'm pretty egoless about this thing. The best idea wins. Whatever makes the movie the best it can be.
Hopefully the people who have been working on it before me will take an interest in the way this thing turns out. I'd love to hear their input because they've obviously given things a lot of thought. There have been a lot of dead ends on this movie and you don't to repeat the mistakes of the movie that came before you.
Harry talked to me for about half an hour last night about the history of this project. He should write an article about how this thing dates back all the way to SNOW WHITE and Disney and (Ray) Harryhausen and he even said that Lucas was interested in the material before he did STAR WARS... and, you know, there's (John) Boorman and the list goes on and on of people who really saw the potential in this thing. It's a bit intimidating in a way, but it also makes me feel like I'm on to something and this is worthy piece of material to spend the years that I would have to to not just ensure that one movie would come out good, but that I'm true enough to the material on the first movie that it would lend itself to extending it into a whole franchise.
QUINT: So, you're interested in being a part of more than just the first movie?
JON FAVREAU: Part of what we're telling Paramount is that I'm willing to get involved with this thing in a much great way than just as a director for hire on one movie. I want to make sure that I don't steal from later books so much that I can't go ahead and help bring those to the screen as well.
QUINT: Good, as long as we get to the Plant Men in Book 2. Those things scare the shit out of me.
JON FAVREAU: Yeah! They are scary, but there are things in the book that are... You know, you're dealing with religious issues, you're dealing with a lot of social commentary. Burroughs had a very strong opinion about religion and about different issues of his time, but ultimately I think the books are very spiritually correct. What Carter represents and what the different cultures represent, it's a real cautionary tale of where we're heading in our future and I don't want to lose that.
If you're going to make a movie of this scope, it has to have a social relevance that is not overtly obvious, but people, as they're enjoying and being entertained by the movie, under the radar a message comes through. The aspirin in the applesauce as they say and that's really what's appealing about this to me.
[After a medium-ish pause]
We should talk a little bit about the other movie. We have five minutes left!
QUINT: Sure... How do you think the screening went last night?
JON FAVREAU: I was really stoked. I was really stoked on the fact that all the things that I had fought to keep in because it was appealing to me were finally getting responses in this audience as far as the humor, the storytelling, the sensibility. After test screenings... for families there's a lot of stuff in the movie that got too scary at times, the sensibility was adult in certain areas. I think it was a nice balance where it's appropriate for kids, but it's still entertaining for adults. And that it played to a room full of adults and they responded to it and were engaged by it was a really encouraging for me as a filmmaker and it made me feel like I did a good job.
QUINT: What aspect of the film did you think got the best response?
JON FAVREAU: I think people dig the humor. Some of the humor got responses, but I think the responses that you can't gauge, you sort of feel a little bit, but you don't gauge like you would laughs, I think people really dug the technique used in the storytelling. We had Guillermo Navarro shoot it and the reason I hired him was THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE. I was a huge fan of that film. It was a movie essentially with children at its center, but it was told in a very compelling way visually.
We weren't afraid of the darkness in this movie and we weren't afraid of how frightening mundane things are if presented in a way that's suspenseful. A lot like THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE when they go down into the basement down by the pool. There's a lot of that that Guillermo... you know, he breathes that stuff. Looking at (another Guillermo) del Toro's collaborations with him specifically, I enjoy the most. I screened DEVIL'S BACKBONE, like, I think 3 times for various members of the crew as we were preparing to do this movie. Then we ended up hiring Guillermo. This one spoke to us.
That aspect really worked well and the miniatures and all the stuff (Stan) Winston did. I think the people there really enjoyed that.
QUINT: We're in an interesting time right now where the standard has seemed to be set for the family film by people like Rodriguez. It's appealing to me to see something go a different route because I'm a sucker for the artistry of a film. I love seeing movie tricks done. I think hand done matte paintings are works of art.
JON FAVREAU: You look at a Rodriguez effects film and you're seeing what Rodriguez lives and breathes and does. It's all hand-crafted. Now, I'm not a Rodriguez. I don't have that skill set. But what I do have is a really excited enthusiasm for what's visually happening in the movie and to work with great artists and great effects people and great places like Stan Winston Studio.
You know, it's like you've got the best seat in the house. It's like a dream come true to be around it and from there making suggestions and guiding the vision of it. In a way, you're running the show as a director, but in a way you're really just empowering these talented people to bring their best to the table. So, when I see the movie, I remember all the input I gave to both the artists and the model makers and the people shooting it, but it was never like I was delegating something I didn't have time to do. It's something I don't have the ability to do, but I can help unify the vision of the film. I think that the film did ultimately have a very unified vision.
You know, the robot and the Zorgon ships were designed by different people, but they share a common feeling. The way the game was designed, that started off as a board game. "What if we make it like a wind-up tin toy? What if we really go down the road of making it feel like it's of this era? How do we separate this from the JUMANJI aspect of it?" Which, frankly, to me I felt was unappealing.
I think that for maybe family and kids it helps in the marketing that people have touchstones to compare it to, but ultimately it would turn me off as a film-goer. I don't think that a big studio cares about that. They make a bunch of phone calls. They ask them, "Would you see a movie called ZATHURA? Would you rather see a movie called ZATHURA, from the makers of JUMANJI," or whatever they said. Ultimately everybody says, "Oh, I know JUMANJI. Sure!"
It allows them to make the leap, it makes them feel safer that their investment's going to be protected. But for me as an audience member of my age, it would alienate me, so I went to great efforts to separate the movie visually, storytelling-wise, cast-wise in every way from the movie that it's going to most be compared to because there's a game at its core.
And this is part of paying the piper when you're working on a studio movie. What makes it exciting for me is the thing that makes it scary for them and the thing that makes it safe for them is the thing that makes it unappealing for me. It's a tightrope that you have to walk as you step up into another league of filmmaking as far as budget goes. This is their big Holiday movie. It was done for a fraction of the price that Potter was done for, and Narnia, and it's going to be in the same marketplace at the same time.
QUINT: Well, I'd say it looks as big as those movies...
JON FAVREAU: Thank you. I think we did a lot to do that...
[At this point Dax Shepard comes over, ready to begin my next interview and send Favreau over to another interviewer]
JON FAVREAU: (To Dax) Are they ready for me over there?
DAX SHEPARD: I'm your publicist, get over there! (To me) Did you find out if he was gay or not?
Interesting end to that interview, isn't it? I have my chat with Dax Shepard (really funny interview, by the way) and that should be finished shortly.
I hope you enjoyed the interview. As a Burroughs fan, I know a lot of the questions I had about how they were going to approach the world have been answered and I'm very happy to hear that Favreau has a healthy respect for the original text. It's also telling that he took the opportunity to talk so much about John Carter when he's supposed to be pushing ZATHURA. The enthusiasm was palpable during the interview and I hope it showed through in the written version of it.
I'm ready to slip into a small coma now. Fantastic Fest is killing me, but I've seen a lot of great stuff. I'll have some reviews shortly!
-Quint
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Oh yeah...
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...I'm feeling a little bit better about Favreau now, after reading the interview.
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Oct 09, 2005 2:12:15 AM CDT
Finally a down to Earth no bullshit viewpoint on Science Fiction
by industrykiller
Favreau really seems to have his priorities in place. I'll personally take him over Kerry Conran (Sky Captain was the very definition of mediocre) any day of the week and twice on SUndays. Favreu seems to be a filmmaker that's really beginning to stretch himself and keep a cool head about what he is doing. i think filmmakers today get a bit too wrapped up in their "interpretation" to the opint where it's to the detriment of both the story and visuals. If I had to tell Favreau any one thing it would be to not be afraid to go big and get far more grandiose than you ever have before. Try to reach for that dreamlike ephoria we used to get when watching classic Spielberg or Lucas or even (to a slightly different effect) Jim Henson. Don't necessarily make the filmmaking intimate, that always ends up feeling too cheap and dull with sci fi, instead rely on the characters to pull us into this fantastical world you create.
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So perfect. I was honestly a little worried about. But Favreau really seems to know his shit. This guy's gonna make a great fucking movie.
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EDIT..."I was honestly a little worried about CONRAN, But Favreau relly seems to know his shit."
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but after that interview, i can tell it's in good hands. hell, now i want to interview him, he sounds like a kickass guy.
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That interview felt very reassuring. Not only will the approach be character-centered, they will also retain the Civil War officer aspect of Carter, including his mad horse 'n' sword skills. Favreau doesn't seem interested in the lowest common denominators (like making Carter a modern US Army officer), and seems to hew to the idea that spectacle is most effective when coupled with interesting, fully developed characters. The potential of this thing just went up quite a bit in my book. Very exciting! Now, if Favreau by any chance is interested in fan input enough to lurk in this TB.... Billy Crudup for John Carter!
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if this is done right this will be one of the most exciting films to go and see since Fellowship.
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Matthew McConaughey would be ok, now that he's older. But Crudup...I don't know, I've only seen him in ALMOST FAMOUS, but just based on that movie I think he'd be killer...fuckn' great call IMO
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I dont know squat about John Carter of Mars, never read it, never had access to it. But... I read this interview and it fits. There's passion blended with practicality. Favreau seems pragmatic about what he wants to and more importantly what he CAN do with this film and yet, there's no pessimism to it. Like I said, never ever read JC of Mars, but, I've been following the development of this project on this site, and i want to watch this movie, now more than ever.
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But honestly, so do most people in his position, particularly those that have been playing the game for a while. They all know what people want to hear and are well versed in the art of positive spin. But there's a damn big gap between talking something up and telling folks what they want to hear, and actually delivering on those promises with a quality and worthy film. And honestly, Favreau, despite an apparent 'geek' passion (which may very well be just him playing to the geek audience) for John Carter Of Mars, ultimately still gives me pause and feels wrong to me. Basic comments that boil down to "fuck the backstory and establishing the character, let's get to Mars already!" and indications to being afraid of epic scope (where it's actually required) and focusing solely on the more intimate side of things, as if he's almost afraid of the larger scale more epic side of things (that really is required and needs to be balanced alongside plot and character to successfully tell this tale). I also get the distinct feeling that it's already leaning towards pussifying it towards pg-13 mass market crowds as well. And if true all these kinds of things are going to kill this thing deader than Battlefield Earth 2. I sincerely hope that if it gets made that he pulls it off, nothing would make me happier as a John Carter fan, but right now in the book to movie stakes this smells more like Battlefield Earth than Lord Of The Rings. Hope I'm wrong. By the way, Keith David would rock.
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You know, all things being equal, I'd prefer to give Favreau the benefit of the doubt at this stage. There are plenty of clueless twats in the business who say things like "young hip cast" and "sexy teens" and "re-imagining" with a straight face while pimping their projects. I think if Favreau were planning that kind of travesty he'd be up front about it since the people who speak the above-mentioned type of MTVese are catering to what they perceive as a wide, youthful audience. I see no reason to doubt what Favreau is saying so far. He's at least attempting to bring some credibility and integrity to the table, as opposed to, say, any number of soundbiting nu-horror hacks du jour. As for Carter's back story, there isn't an exceedingly huge amount of it in ERB's first book, as I recall. I think a few flashbacks and/or a Civil War prologue would go a long way in setting up the character.
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One set to adapt Burroughs does not correct someone who speaks of Tars "Tarkis"?
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It was a promising read but looking at all those Frazetta paintings reminded me that a question that is key to capturing the feel of Barsoom is going to be its ratings. As much as it is an adventure tale for young men, I think the nudity issue has to be addressed full on. Will they have the courage to casually put non-sexual nudity on screen?
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Oct 09, 2005 8:28:53 AM CDT
"Will they have the courage to casually put non-sexual nudity on
by docpazuzu
Not likely. I enjoy female nudity as much as any heterosexual male, but it would be much too distracting. That having been said, there should certainly be lots of revealing outfits to maintain at least the illusion of prurience. Save the full-on nudity for an R-rated Conan flick.
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...apart from weirdo nudists, I don't think there is such a thing in western pop culture as "non-sexual" nudity. Even if the characters in the film act like it's nothing, 99.9999% of the audience won't see it that way. They'll be either offended or stimulated, but never neutral.
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Thanks Quint. I can't wait for this to come to pass - bottom line.
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Nevermind. Something feels right about Favs coming into this film, and not just for the obvious reasons. A whole planets are aligning type of feeling is what I'm getting, maybe congaing in the same formation as they did when Lucas just made American Graffitti and then began Star Wars.
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Sorry, but there's a difference between classic and stale. This sort of idea has been done to death already and there's nothing new here. Go rent the first Conan. Enjoy.
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Oct 09, 2005 9:40:44 AM CDT
"This sort of idea has been done to death already and there'
by docpazuzu
Even if that were true, which it isn't, it's a very strange argument. Surely detective stories or science fiction or love stories or horror have filled their quota and been "done to death", yes? If the idea doesn't appeal to you, fine. But saying that it's "stale" is really rather limp reasoning. If moviemakers lived by those rules there would be very few movies made at all.
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Oct 09, 2005 9:53:16 AM CDT
Nice interview, but you forgot to ask him about Jaws.
by heywood jablowme
What?! not one mention of Saint Robert Shaw? This is not a Quint iterview, this be blasphemy!
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They were weird looking. Also, John Carter appears to be wearing a Batman logo on his chest in one of those pictures. Yeah, I'm ignorant. I'm also bored and alarmingly sober, and I don't like it.
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They're actually going to try and do it right? What?! I believe this guy might walk the walk here.
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Oct 09, 2005 10:47:14 AM CDT
I like that he's referencing the first Planet of the Apes...
by batutta
The two stories have a lot in common. I always saw the film as Dances With Wolves on Mars. John Carter and John Dunbar have very similar character arcs. I hope Favs obvious enthusiasm for the project makes it to the screen, and please cast Hugh Jackman now that the Van Helsing franchise is dead. Just cross his Wolverine with the character he played in Kate & Leopold and you've got John Carter.
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I don't personally think this film will get the studio support it will need to be "epic". Focusing on the intimate side of things is making a virtue of necessity. And Doc, there IS such a thing in western culture as non-sexual nudity - ever see a stack of old National Geographics? When a western protagonist meets "natives" who are habitually nude, the nudity is desexualized almost immediately. I think the Mars situation is somewhat analogous. The nudity might be shocking or distracting, but only for the first five minutes, and after that it would be nudity white noise. All that being said, there's no way the film they actually make here will go that route, simply because it will make this gigantic dice roll of a film that much dicier, and I don't see that risk being taken.
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I said western pop culture, not western culture in general.
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I absolutely cannot believe that 99% of the above talkbackers, along with Favs, ain't saying shit about casting John Carter. I mean, this could be as big as casting Spidey, Wolverine, Anakin etc. and yet no one is even offering a suggestion. Well, that is, except for the guy who said Billy Crudup would kick ass and to that I agree. But you all just wait. I promise you that as this thing gets closer, we're going to fall into the whole Superman/James Bond crap where you hear every actor's name that has ever taken an 8x10 glossy thrown around. Then, at the 11th hour, some no-name dipshit falls into the part with only some guest appearance on 7th Heaven to his name. Mark my words people, mark my words.
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I agree with you to an extent Doc. I think there is such a thing as sensory overload though. The most arousing moments are always the reveals. You see a woman taking off her clothes, the excitement is towards every new inch of undressed skin. For example, when a woman is slowly taking off a dress, the eyes tend to stay with the breast for a few seconds then return to following the clothes south for the Netherlands even though they still have to cross the mid-body instead of just hanging out with the breast till better offers reveal themselves. One someone is naked, it
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Oct 09, 2005 12:07:32 PM CDT
Yeah... I guess that a link to that site would probably help...
by neosamurai85
Hope this doesn't bring the heat down on me, or if it does they only deleate this post instead of my account. This is after all, related to the on-topic debate of this talkback. NOT WORKSAFE! here's the link. http://www.anelnoath.com/bnnmain.htm Peace.
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And I agree with you, too, up to to a point, Neosamurai. All of what you so *ahem* vividly described is true for most adults, but this film will arguably have its largest amount of viewers consisting of males in their teens and early twenties. If what I was like at the age of 14 is anything to go by, then the threshold for "nudity overload" will be a lot higher than for most jaded adults. On the other hand, it just might break every B.O. record known to man for the very same reason.
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And I think Crispin Glover would make an excellent John Carter! Peace.
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It took every once of my opossum fearing willpower to not go the Ladies Man rout with that post. When you watchin' A LADY take off her dress... and I'm talking about a FINE lady... yeah, come to think of it... I probably should have. Peace.
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Thanks Harry and Quint. It is about time we got some inside John Carter news! Cool! I would love to see Salma Heyek be cast as the girl in the first photo. Oh Yeah! That would be a dream come true.
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...Neil Gaiman about getting the script structure sorted out. Neil has turned some really difficult material into scripts and done a damn fine job of it.
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Fuck all the puritanical hypocrits in this country! I am tired of all this sensorship bullshit! The characters in John Carter Of Mars are nude/semi nude. Deal with it! Filmmakers should always be true to the source material; and if that means having nudity, then so be it. I say don't hold back Favreau!
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It'd be like making a pg Conan, and we all remember how well *that* turned out. I mean the first Conan may have taken liberties with it's source material (many of them budgetary, some of them creative choices), but at least spiritually it was there, at least it captured most of the important essence of what Conan was as best as could be done at the time. And a damn fine film resulted, one that unapologetically was what it was. All I want is the same from a John Carter film. I don't expect a cast of thousands and a 200 million dollar budget, but I don't want "John Carter for dummies" or John Carter in name only either. If they could give me the same feel as, say, Frazetta's art gives me, that same lightning in a bottle capturing of the essense and spirit of these characters and that world, then I'd be happy. Hell, I'd be near ecstatic. But there's just no way on earth to do that by going the pg-13 all audiences route. And it's not just me being a letch and wanting nudity and gratuitous violence, as much as it is in me wanting to see them capturing that essence that is the John Carter stories, and acknowledging that pulp origin part of these stories without the need to tone it back or eliminate those aspects completely, just to satisfy the needs for a pg rating or keep a bunch of pro-censorship assholes who wouldn't know any form of artistry even if it was nailed to their fucking foreheads. This is a pulp story, unapologetically so, and I just don't want to see it made all crisp and shiny and sanitised for the masses and in pursuit of a kid friendly audience share. I want something that *feels* like John Carter, not something that just uses the title and a bunch of scrounged ideas for yet another vaccuous hollywood wannabe blockbuster. Still, what do I know?
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This looks like one of those great 80s films we vaguely remember but never actually got
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Frank Frazetta's great and all, but I always thought painter Michael Whelan did a better job capturing Barsoom. Check it out: http://www.cybcity.com/polixo/VMWww-36[1].jpg
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Oct 09, 2005 4:36:04 PM CDT
I would like to see Favreau convince Paramount to let Stout keep
by declan_swartz
http://www.tcj.com/ws03/stoutmars.html http://www.williamstout.com/journal/archives/archive-03132005-03192005.html Thursday, March 17th "WILLIAM STOUT HIRED FOR 'A PRINCESS OF MARS'! That
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That's basically the kind of "nudity" we're talking about here. Sure, there will lots of good looking bodies on the screen, and yes, there will be violence at about the LOTR level....but this movie should still be able to pull a PG-13 rating without suffering.
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I have a strange feeling it'll end up being that Nip-Tuck/Dr.Doom guy or someone like him.
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The guy bailed on HULK and TITANIC, and still does Broadway. So he's serious about his craft, which makes me think that he's all the more perfect for the part. With Fav on board he just might bite. I just googled some images, and fuckn'A...he IS John Carter. I'd prefer to see an American ( no offense to some of the great Aussie contenders) in this role, just cuz, well just cuz...it feels right. And McCounghey might be alttle too good-old-boy for the part, not to mention come with a bigger price-tag.
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Hey! HEY! Stop giggling! You know what I mean! Seriously though, he'd be a good casting choice for John Carter. Eye moe, anyway.
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Oct 09, 2005 9:08:19 PM CDT
Umm, I'm guessing Noah Wyle is gonna have to bulk up for thi
by shermdawg
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Oct 09, 2005 9:12:52 PM CDT
Anticipation just quadrupled. That means times four for the igno
by awesomebillfunk
don't know crap about Burroughs or John Carter (or mars really) but i like favs, and listening to him talk about this project makes me excited.
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Take the time to read Burroughs and see what all the fuss is about. It may not be brilliant wordsmithing but his concepts of fantasy and science fiction are critical reading if you ever want to consider yourself a 'serious' sci-fi or fantasy fan. As someone mentioned that iconic moment in Star Wars VI with Leia in the harem outfit battling across the desert planet in floating airships is a direct homage to Barsoom. Imagine 90 minutes of adventure that cool.
The other secret ingeredient that they have to put into this film is the bit that almost every single great film hinges on: a friendship. Its on the pages here for them to seize. -
http://tinyurl.com/cndjr
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Napoleon Dynamite of Mars
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I think he's an awesome actor, but I just can't imagine him as Carter. John Carter has got to have a noble military bearing and a swashbuckler's cockiness and ferocity with the sword. That's not Crudup's forte: his sweet spot seems to be tragically weak characters that are the "lover not a fighter" type. I agree that Hugh Jackman seems like a natural, but he's so associated with fantasy roles at this point, it may be time for him to take a break. Except for the hair, Matthew McConnaughy fits Carter perfectly. Thomas Jane might be a good choice too -- his Punisher was much more like John Carter than Frank Castle (which is why that movie didn't work for me). Eric Bana too. I know there are a lot of Hulk haters out there, but check out Black Hawk Down, Chopper and even the atrocious Troy -- Bana is a believable honorable officer and he's got wild streak that hasn't been displayed in his Hollywood work yet. But Crudup, no, although I agree he's a talented actor.
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Grace Park from Battlestar Galactica. She doesn't have the proportions of Frazetta's Dejah, but she'd be a beautiful Princess of Mars nonetheless. And a dark horse candidate for Carter: Jamie Bambier -- Apollo from BG.
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Good call on both. Forgot about them. Jane would be very interesting. Kinda stocky though. I liked Bana in Troy. Dejah...proportion-wise...J-Lo, reality-wise...no. Jolie's got the lips, but...no, she'd be almost as annoying as J-Lo. So, it needs to be a chick with J-lo's ass and Jolie's lips. Zeta-Jones? She seems a bit too domesticated these days. As long as it's not some blondie with a dye-job like Cameron Diaz or some shit...fuck that.
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Of all the non-Crudup alternatives mentioned above, I like Bana the best. He has the intensity, the looks, the acting skills and the physical condition to play Carter quite well. The only thing that doesn't quite work is that he doesn't have the typical kind of chiselled, heroic facial features one normally associates with classic pulp heroes. It may be a minor quibble, but one which tips the balance in Crudup's favor.
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No. No, no, no, a thousand times no. I like Hugh Jackman quite a bit even though I loathed Van Helsing. The main problem with Jackman is the name recognition. This would be just one SF/fantasy film too many at the moment and it would be hard to take him seriously. I think the relatively unknown status of Crudup (and Bana, to a certain extent) works against Jackman since it would be that much harder for the latter to overcome associations with previous genre efforts.
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Iiiiiiiiii don't think so. Again - no problem with McConaughey per se (well, not too many), but like someone already pointed out, he's too much of a good ol' boy and I don't think he can pull of the "Confederate gentleman officer" which Carter requires.
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Kerry Conran was exactly the right choice. However, Fravreau tells us that the reason he left the project is he couldn't agree with the executives, who had no love of the source material and had no interest in spending the money it would take to do it properly. Do they hire del Toro? No. They hire puppet Favreau, and have him take del Toro's dp. This project is DOOMED, people. The vile suits in charge have no respect for the source material, have no respect for it's fans, and are indifferent to anything other then whether or not the end product relates to their business models of what weekend movie-goers expect. Go read the books, and, if you can draw, do a series of sketches as you read. That series will be more interesting than this film will turn out to be. I know, Harry's an "exectutive producer." That might bode well. More likely than not, it will mean jack squat.
Sorry. -
I like Tom Jane. I think he's underrated overall and was fantastic in Stander. However, he lacks the physical stature and build of a master swordsman. Of course you'd save money on special effects money during the fights with the Tharks since the green dudes could be played by average sized guys and we'd never know. I kid, I kid. However, this IS a problem, one which the forced perspective shots of The Punisher would become all too obvious to be effective.
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Yes, Crudup has mostly played guys with a bit of a soft spot, and has shown few aspects of flamboyance and/or intensity outside of Almost Famous and Prefontaine, but I'm convinced he has it in him. Also, he has the perfect face and stature, and is the kind of guy who would immerse himself in the role so completely that he'd basically bulk up and become a master swordsman just to be "true" to the role. The thing that seals the deal for me, though, is the lack of previous baggage in terms of name recognition. John Carter could be for Billy Crudup what Aragorn was for Viggo Mortensen. Just look at Crudup - it's like he's been genetically fucking engineered to play John Carter! Add to that his considerable acting chops and total commitment to the roles he takes on and you have the perfect choice.
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If not him, then McConaughey. He's not quite my idea of Carter, (he'd certainly make the character his own), but I think he would really jump into the athletics of it and just have a blast doing it. He'd make those wacky costumes look like something he wears ALL the time. But I still put Crudup above him as I agree with the Viggo analogy.Of course I AM just going off the way he looks and his Google-bio & pictures kinda, cuz I've only seen his work in ALMOST FAMOUS, but damn...he really does LOOK like Carter. Jane wouldn't carry the romantic end of it I don't think. There's gotta be something for the ladies, and he's too much of a beer and football on Sunday type of guy. Bana just doesn't seem right somehow...I hate be a prick, but I'm sticking with my American-only position. Except maybe Russel Crowe but...no...for too many reasons I don't feel like listing. And Jackman...no more fantasy-parts for him I say. Not like I have any say anyway, but for the sake of TB-argument, I'd say it's between Billy and Matt.
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Just had to throw that in to keep up with the "of Mars" train. No way should/would Crow play the part. Again, gotta throw love to Crudup, but like I said, he could turn it down (unless he takes a cue from the Viggo example) I see McConaughey as more of backup-plan (sorry dude), as I'm sure he'd be enthusiastic as hell about the role. Alas, I'm repeating myself, so, I go no further on this topic...So, who should play Dejah?
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Like the most interesting part. I love sci-fi films that have almost inexplicable moments. I don't need to know how the fusion drives combined with the crystal meth zombie force beams to create the Buddha bomb barheenie force. I just want some dude to get wounded, take a poop while looking at Mars and then 5 seconds later find himself smothered by loads of green arms. That'll get me in the cinema.
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I'd got with Crudup too for Carter- seems the perfect choice. But if the studios feel like smoking some crack instead of their latte, how about Josh Lucas?
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Josh Lucas? Not really. Too much McConaughey in the guy. I don't dislike him, but his innate, chronic smarminess doesn't sit well with the charcacter.
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Wow. Favreau seems to have some cool ideas on how to approach this. If nudity's a problem - just make the martian ladies nippleless and leave the fully formed fun-bags bouncing away in the lower gravity of Mars (Hope they look into the effects of lower gravity on breasts). Casting agents please note: a martian females breasts won't be as saggy as earth females' because of the lower gravity. Perky green babes please.
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While I totally see what you mean about McConaughey( I did point out his good-ol'boy nature) Pazazu. For my next-in-line-choice after Crudup (perfect IMO) I still rank him above Bana. Cuz even though he's not quite right for the part, he would still be entertaining. Which I'll take over Bana, who, despite seeming more "right" for the role, might, I believe, be somewhat dull...hence,wrong for the overall film.(same goes for the Jackman) So, Crudup=Great choice, and star-quality. But if he passes, Wooderson gets my vote based on star-quality alone, even if he's a slight departure from the ideal-Carter. At least the movie will be fun in it's own right. He is from the South and might pull it off better than some might expect. Still...not my first choice, but better him than boring if Crudup isn't on the scene. Bana, a solid third though. He doen't look quite as good without that Troy-beard though. Ok I've put way too much thought into this...later.
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Yeah, all perfect tities please.
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That's right... Thomas Haden Church for John Carter. Deborah Messing can be Dejah Thoris. And Paul Giamatti can be Tars Tarkas. Woola can be played by Eric Roberts.
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Spikes goes interplanetary.
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but Favreau must have mentioned the original Star Wars fifty times in that interview, so if that is the tone/model based type of thing he is going for, this sounds good.
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I love the Frazetta stuff too but Michael Whelan is awesome.
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I love Frazetta to death and have a number of his art books in my collection. I think he's by far a much better artist than Whelan. However, I think Whelan did a better job of capturing the feel of Mars as a dying planet, with vast, arid landscapes and crumbling civilizations. If there were a way to capture the strengths of both of their takes on Barsoom (with maybe a hint of the 1970's Marvel Comics version), it would be amazing. While we're somewhat on the subject: Boris Vallejo has turned into a hack painter of mullet-wearing, musclebound gym freaks. Just compare his crap from the past fifteen years with the things he did in the 1970's, like the amazing Savage Sword of Conan covers. He's the most overrated fantasy artist EVER.
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Oct 10, 2005 10:35:12 AM CDT
Eh. I'll believe this gets made when cameras actually start
by orbots commander
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With all due respect, I think more than 2% of the population has heard of Edgar Rice Burroughs. Figure on "by the creator of Tarzan" to be one of the selling points.
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Just as it is unwise to assume that everyone is as well informed as you, it is also unwise to assume that everyone is as ignorant as you. Quite a few folks grew up reading books and the majority of the males at least that read books in their youth would know ERB.
ERB is up their with Heinlein, Asimov, Andre Norton, CS Lewis, Arthur Conan Doyle and Tolkein.
You've heard of all those, right?
If not, log off and get thee to a library! -
cast this movie, it's not within my skill set. They should bring somebody in with the proper skill set of being John Carter, because he had a very specific skill set. Skill Set!!!
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My problem with casting Matthew McConaughey for John Carter is the same one I'd have if this was given to Tom Cruise (who might otherwise have been a great choice): It stops being a John Carter of Mars movie and becomes simply a Matthew McConaughey vehicle. Some actors, like him, are more about their charisma and presence than they are about acting. He never stops being Matthew McConaughey and starts being John Carter.
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Excellent point about MM and another reason why Crudup would own this role. Nobody would say "Aww, it's just Billy Crudup playing himself again!"
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And no Doom reviews either? It seems this site is asleep at the wheel. There is a Fog reviews at IMDB already, so it screened somewhere! Or maybe I'm the only one who cares...Plenty of space to talk about films that are MONTHS away, but a week or two...No reviews.
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Mr.Favreau certainly says all the right things and has his head firmly on his shoulders. Well done sir. Best of luck with John Carter. Show these masturbating fx exhibitionists what its like to actually develop likable characters that we care for. cheers.
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McConaughey can act and can hide in a role. I think he was great in Reign of Fire. There's nowhere to hide in John Carter though.
Silly casting idea #1: Matt Damon as John Carter. Jennifer Lopez as the Incomparable Deja Thoris. Ben Afflek as Tars Tarkis. -
Agreed. I loved Reign of Fire too. Especially his part, since he seemed to bite into it with such relish. On the opposite, and most alarming, end of the MM spectrum is his role as Palmer Joss in Contact. Loved the film, hated his part. It was basically MM in a red scarf with a leatherbound book under his arm. I'd go into why I hated his performance in Amistad, but I'm too tired. Haven't seen Sahara yet, but have the feeling I'm going to like him in it. Either way - the guy is no John Carter, nor is his semi-clone, Josh Lucas.
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Dude... Google John Carter for both images and the first few books (which I think are available online for free). No disrespect to Boreanaz, but you might as well suggest Eddie Deezen for John Carter.
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Who cares if he's been in too many genre films of late. Lucas almost didn't cast Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones for pretty much the same reason and that didn't seem to matter. Billy Crudup isn't bulky enough. Bana doesn't have enough charisma. Jane and McConaughey are too redneck and not the gentlmen of Burroughs books. Jackman all the way.
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named by you barely closeted fan boys. At least Crudup gets a shout out. He won't do the movie, because he doesn't like to make shit. David Boreanazazazazaz is just Craig Sheffer with a new haircut. Next come the browncoats screaming "Nathan Fillion, ooh he can fiil me up any day."
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Funny shit.
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"Beautiful babies on Mars, and I'm So Money".
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Now THAT would be awesome... "Look at all these beautiful Martian babies..."
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Oct 10, 2005 3:48:06 PM CDT
Big ups to Favs...should be interesting when it's all done.
by r.c. the "wise"
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Jackasses.
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That's not tired.
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Oct 10, 2005 3:56:51 PM CDT
People are saying they want it rated R, but you know something l
by terry_1978
And you know it.
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Whelan does have some nice moments - The best being his "Gods of Mars" cover with Carter and Tars Tarkas back to back, but Frazetta's versions kick him in the teeth. I love those dark skies--it's like a sandstorm is always looming... No one else comes close. For a more tender look at Barsoom, seek out David Burton. He gets it. (http://www.davidburtonart.net/photo5.html)
Right on about Vallejo, though, that guy sucks and always has.
btw: Am I the only one that loves the Western opening of the book with Powell and the Apaches? What gives? -
Oct 10, 2005 6:14:41 PM CDT
"Now maybe PaZooZoo's Peddles has a Thing for Billy Crudup--
by docpazuzu
So, you're resorting to stealing jokes made at your expense in other talkbacks now, GoatZinger? I'm sure you've at one time or another wondered why maybe one person in every six months bothers to reply to anything you've posted. It's not because you're nowhere near as funny, provocative or clever as you think you are. Your sin is much greater than that. You're just too boring, that's all. You're so dull that you aren't even banned anymore despite the fact that your shtick hasn't changed in the past several years. Now THAT'S gotta hurt.
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There's too much bad cg going on. It feels like I'm watching an X-men legends cut scene. In the first Harry Potter I could have sworn Shrek made a cameo appearance in that bathroom fight. And Harry turned rubbery when he jumped on his shoulders.
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...but I mainly know him from Big Fish, where he was Mr. self-absorbed skeptic. John Carter does not know the meaning of the words "hesitate" or "reluctant". Plus, and I can't believe nobody else has mentioned this, he's freakin' IMMORTAL. Are they going to film all of the books simultaneously, so their star doesn't age? Or will John Carter's immortality "die"? Call me curious.
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Oct 10, 2005 7:17:37 PM CDT
So, now that the a new script is needed when is this supposed to
by wonkabar
I can't Imagine this even making an X-Mas'06 release-date at his point. MAYBE if they start next month and work really fast. Also, when can we expect an official website? As far as the "98% of the population not knowing what this is" argument. Dude, think of all the original-story movies that have NO built-in audience. Can we say Star-Wars? That wasn't based on any book read by anybody. MOST movies aren't based on ANYTHING! Even if something is based a current bestseller, most movie-goers wouldn't have a clue anyway (even bestselling books get nowhere near the numbers that movies do ) I seriously doubt that many of the SAHARA ticket-buyers had any idea it was based on a book (and a best-seller at that) The fact that ROAD TO PERDITION was based on a Comic-book did little to make or break the film. I remember hearing this "lack of general-public knowledge" argument about LOTR as well- "it won't break 100 million" "this will only appeal to dice-throwing nerds" And that movie had an almost unknown director and no stars to boot. Yet everybody went to see it. Why? Cuz "looked" cool. Good trailers/advertising etc. The release was well-timed, and it helped that it was good. EVERY movie needs good marketing and buzz. Old books you say? Small fan-base? Shit, that's alot more than most movies have. Most movies don't have shit going in.
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Something all you Viggoists should bear in mind.
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Dude, how the fuck did I write "could call" instead of "good call" I need to stop sniffing glue.
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Can't really understand his appeal personally. Frazetta is a vastly superior stylist. Vallejo is technically excellent but doesn't convincingly meld his photorealistic figures with the more fantastical elements of his paintings IMHO. His stuff strikes me as sterile and bloodless. On the other hand Frazetta's work conveys energy and power.
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How about Goran Visnjic (from ER)? Although he might not be able to do the accent.
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Guy 1:"Dude you know that guy that plays John Carter?" Guy 2:"Noah Wyle?" Guy 1:"No, the dude that played on that hospital show, where he was a doctor, he played John Carter. What's his name?" Guy 2:"That was Noah Wyle." Guy 1:"No." Guy 2:"Yes it WAS!" Guy 1:"No it wasn't you stupid son of a bitch!" Guy 2:"Who in the hell are you calling a stupid son of a bitch? You....STUPID SON OF A BITCH!" (Guy 1 pulls out a knife, and kills Guy 2. Guy 1 is charged with his murder, but it is ruled a mistrail when the jury gets into a brawl over the "Who played John Carter?" argument.) DO YOU REALLY WANT THIS TO HAPPEN REDD? DO YOU!???
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Once again Doc, it seems we slightly disagree. Though I don
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Is this talkback or the penthouse forum?
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And don't give me this crap about bringing up VAN HELSING. He was personally fine in it, regardless what you thought of the surrounding movie itself. I think Jackman would kick serious ass as Carter...though as a second choice, I like the suggestion of Thomas Jane. He could be fine, too. But not Billy Cudrup and not Eric Bana -- both are too bland, and not Matthew McConaghey. I agree with others. He'd come off more as a well-known, pretty-face Hollywood personality inserted into the movie. As a lifelong Burroughs fanatic, JACKMAN, I SAY!
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In absence of AltaVista Bablefish having a
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You're right; the ER/John Carter connection would be a strange conundrum. Maybe he could play Tarl Cabot from the Gor Books? Wait, Gor..Goran!
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For reading your post once more... we actually do agree. Thus my labors of comedy have been for nothing. Oh how I see it all falling apart... unless... yes... yes it is clear to me now what I must do... I must find our paralle demention where my true nemeses Evil Goatee DocPazuzu lives. I will then meet him on the field of battle (IHOP). We will put bars of soap into pairs of giant gramma panties and beat each other savagly untill Ziyi Zhang throws herself in front of one of us as sacrafice during a seasonal timelaps montage or we one of us - if not both - die. Ah how sweet it will be! Now I must get started! There is much to do... the going into alternet realites is a tricky buisness... many hot potatos to avoid... and this damn eagle trying to kill me doesn't help. Peace.
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Damn
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Actually, his name is Hans Pazuzu and he has an eyepatch. And he doesn't know who ERB is.
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I know i got it coming for saying this but, i really liked the look and performances of MM AND CB in Reign of Fire.Bale could pull of the role of Carter but i'd much rather him go back to working on a Batman sequel. Viggo of course if he could bulk up a bit more and the Thomas Jane suggestion was great but again i'd rather see him do a much much better Punisher sequel if Marvel and DC would just fucking find people that have the same passion for there individual properties that JF seems to have for the John Carter series then we would be getting great fucking film adaptations of the stuff we love.
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Rather than bust your chops too badly, I'll just say that Bale and Mortensen are terrible choices - especially Mortensen. Aragorn of Mars? No thanks. I like Tom Jane, but physically he resembles a fire hydrant with arms.
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Hmm. Well, that would certainly help address the nudity issue. Perhaps all of the characters could be played, nude, by inanimate objects with arms? Four arms for the Tharks, of course. I'm thinking bowling pins.
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I'm throwing out the script, I'm throwing out the scene designs, I don't know anything about what CGI and special effects I'm going to use, and I'm going to hire my friends. It looks to me like Favreau's really got nothing here except that he read the books.
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Oct 11, 2005 10:42:19 AM CDT
Anybody who can get a decent performance from Diddy in MADE can
by tacom
The most astounding special effect from MADE was that Diddy(then P. Diddy) was actually watchable and had actual charisma! Any director who can do that can do fantasy!
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Oct 11, 2005 4:35:00 PM CDT
Producer of shitty looking film gets shitty director to give "ex
by plkrtn
Really. We aren't stupid Harry.
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Salma Hayek would be the perfect choice for Dejah Thoris. Enough said.
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Favreau is untested in the fantasy genre, I agree. But I think the haters seem too eager too slag him, The choices he revealed in the interview seem sensible and well reasoned. Sky Captain had a nice visual look, but you could find 20 directors at Resfest with equal or better digital design chops, and the characterization and plot of the film were dreadful. Rodriguez? He proves that knowing how to do every aspect of film doesn't equate to doing them all well. Give Favreau a break. As to casting: I thought my fellow Talkbackers presented some solid arguments, but I remain unconvinced that Crudup ( a terrific actor, admittedly) has the physicallity appropriate to the role, or the interest in portraying that type of character. MM has more range and depth than the posts would have us believe -- check out Newton Boys, Lone Star and Frailty -- he can be more than a good old boy, given the right director. Dejah Thoris: Besides Park, Indira Varma (Rome, Kama Sutra) has the right qualities, but is probably (by Hollywood standards) a bit old for the part. The woman from Transporter ( and Jacky Chan's Gorgeous) has the beauty but not the majesty. Dejah should be an exotic, alien beauty to John Carter, which would suggest casting somebody of a different ethnicity. I think we may end up with a newcomer.
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Oct 12, 2005 12:51:11 AM CDT
I may not have much casting input outside of dumb jokes...
by neosamurai85
But I will say this Decepticon. We've seen some pretty unexpected body transformations done by actors in the last four or so years. From Will Smith to Bale... I'd keep an open mind if all you think holds Billy Cudrup back is build. Although dedication to a work like this to actually make that kind of shift... now there is an argument. Peace.
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...and turn it into a conceptual prog-rock opera (with an aversion to guitars) called John Greenwood Of Mars starring Thom Yorke as a martian - no make up budget required.
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Then if the movie is successful and someone wants to do a cheap knock-off, imitation, or sequel, they can hire Coldplay.
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It'd be much more successful but possibly not as much action...
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This is the FIRST time I have had hope for this film since it was announced. Leave Rodriguez doing Kiddie flicks and Conran screwing up something else. I am concerned about not following the story & making it Epic enough, but Favrue
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Only real complaint: DITCH FRAZETTA- His work looks NOTHING like Barsoom. Frazetta does Conan (and many other things) well, but Dejah is no a chubby curvy chick. You want Barsoom- see Wheelan who is FAR FAR more accurate (and simply better for the material).
And whoever called Bana- I call BRILLAINT!
http://www.cybcity.com/polixo/VMWww-29[1].jpg
http://www.cybcity.com/polixo/VMWww-35[1].jpg
http://www.cybcity.com/polixo/VMWww-38[1].jpg
http://www.cybcity.com/polixo/VMWww-36[1].jpg
http://www.cybcity.com/polixo/VMWww-28[1].jpg -
But yeah I dig that guys stuff. The semi-recent(late 80's I think) Barsoomian covers are cool.
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Hey,
Actually all the links work- AICN just wouldn't let me Return to a new line item, for each link, so 4 of the sites are back to back- just stop copying the link at the end - after jpg. (and the 2nd site then obvioulsy starts with HTTP) -
Is NOT Salma Hayek or Catherine Zeta-Jones or any other exotic beauty whose name already toplines posters. (Not that either would have been a bad choice for a breakthrough role) Dejah Thoris MUST be an unknown for this movie to work, we have to see her first as Dejah Thoris, not "Jessica Alba as Dejah Thoris". They have got to make the audience fall hard for this woman, at first sight - we have to understand Carter's love for her in a very literal way for this thing to hits its full potential. He's got to make us ready to fight and die for her, right there in the theater, so that we believe the impossible things Carter can do - his love for her enables and emboldens him. If the love story doesn't work, the film shouldn't even be attempted, and if she's an actress we've seen before it'll only work against that old "suspension of disbelief". Malick has the right idea. UNKNOWNS ONLY.
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Oct 13, 2005 6:03:07 PM CDT
What's this? I step away from this talkback for a couple day
by shermdawg
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Imagine Noah Wyle is a fine woman taking off her dress... Peace.
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I agree wholeheartedly.
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"But I was going to Helium to pick up some radium bullets..." No thanks.
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Alas, so was I. I still don't want him for Carter, but I'm certainly aware of Hamill's acting talents and think he's hugely underrated.
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Saying Frazetta's work looks nothing like Barsoom is like saying Ralph McQuarrie didn't "get" Star Wars. I'll admit that FF is not 100% on the money (no one is quite yet), and the Whelan depictions are decent, but dear lord, man, can you read what you just wrote? All of you ought to check out the Neal MacDonald ink illustrations in "A Guide to Barsoom" by John Flint Roy (disregard the Vallejo cover). His plant-men make Whelan's look like kittens.
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If it was, you or I could play Dejah Thoris. That she needs to have acting talent, hypnotic charisma, and be the most beautiful woman on the face of the earth went without saying, or so I thought.
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I like Hamill, but DAMN - Diane Kruger is closer to John Carter than Hamill is...
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Lets drop that, please.
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You see... this is where that self control thing comes in and stops me from making the obivous joke. Seriously though. I'm all for unknowns, but they really arn't the cure all of casting. They stakes are higher on both ends. Peace.
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Hey, how 'bout a buffed-up Ron Livingston?
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You know it had to be said.
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