Cool News
Danton Burroughs has joined Edgar & John on Barsoom...
Hey folks, Harry here... Got this news last night, and I feel of all the obits I've been tasked with writing this one is the toughest. If you're a fan of Edgar Rice Burroughs' work - then you probably are familiar with his grandson Danton. I was blessed to have had numerous conversations with Danton regarding the Paramount gestation of the JOHN CARTER OF MARS movie. He had invited me out to Tarzana, California to go through some of Edgar's estate - show me the actual sword that John Carter gave his grandfather as proof of his tale - and I was very much looking forward to doing just that - but I told Danton that I didn't feel I would have earned the right till we got the Greenlight to shoot. Unfortunately, that light never came.
It is, perhaps, supremely ironic that Danton died on the weekend of IRON MAN's release. As IRON MAN, to a degree, signaled the end of JOHN CARTER at Paramount. Jon Favreau was incredibly passionate about bringing Danton's dream of seeing Edgar's vision to life. I remember when Danton saw the tests that Kerry Conran put together as a proof of concept to show Paramount... he was so incredibly excited. There were a few filmed moments of John walking and leaping upon the surface of Barsoom... and it was glorious.
The reason this obit is hard, is we let Danton down. Sure Pixar is going to make a brilliant John Carter series, but it is too late now for Danton. Danton has long been the stalwart protector of the Burroughs realm. Making sure that his Grandfather's properties were protected and given the utmost respect that they deserved. I'll cherish sharing a dream of realizing Barsoom with him - just as I love the visions of the great unmade Burroughs epic that I saw with Rodriguez, Conran and Favreau.
However, when Pixar hatches a Tharkian egg and lets John hop upon the Martian plains... I feel that Danton's spirit will be cheering the adventures on... just as he had in life. With his passing, an end of an era for the Burroughs world has passed into the mist. He was a very, very good man.
-
+ Expand All
-
...but what happens now? I am a huge John Carter fan and I fear that the sentinel is gone and the fumbling feebs of Hollywood can now rip the story to shreds.
Tell me that isn't so.
Please tell me Pixar still can't make Woola a smart talking hipster!
Or that story isn't going to be reworked so John and Woola have to go find a lost friend...you know the story of EVERY pixar film.
Please tell me there is somebody who will stop that sort of nonsense! -
Sounds like he was a stand up guy. RIP, Mr. Burroughs.
-
The art by Ian McCaig, Ryan Church and others along with the animation tests is gorgeous and ranks up there with the LOTR proof of concept reel that PJ and Weta put together. I hope that Pixar goes for that level of detail in their version.
-
He tried so very hard to keep ERB's work in the limelight as a literary and cultural force...and the properties have never been done correctly. Many have come close to brilliance, but have either been badly cast, not pulpy enough, or toothless and homogenized--the ones that have come close for Tarzan were: Greystoke-The Legend of Tarzan, The Disney film (which had the raw power but was too touchy feely)and moments in the various other films.
This is the film series I wanted Del Toro to man, more than anything.
I hope the people at the ERB company will keep the flame alive, as a tribute to the work that Danton did. -
Sounds great.
-
by Kerry Conran has reached near legendary status for those who have been fortunate to see it.
-
Guess I was asleep when that news came out. And it is a shame that Danton didn't get to see the fruit of his labor. Hopefully, whoever takes on the challenge will be respectful of the family's legacy.
The books are still fun, even for an old man like me. -
RIP Danton. I'd like to see the Conran stuff- though I can't believe that it's any good ....Sky captain was one of the worst movies ever crapped onto the screen.
Love Pixar- but this JC of Mars so ain't a Pixar film - oh well a Real John Carter movie will have to wait a bit longer.... -
I am dying for more of his throw back pulp movies.
-
I don't mean to deface the man on his obit page, but, as an honest question, how did they convince him that the WB teen-centric Tarzan was a good idea?
-
Or would be in a just world where all movies are cool and perfect.
-
yeah - that was one of the names I was fighting for.
-
Well done. Let's hope the actual film will do justice to at least half of the goodness I'm sure you and your buds would have put into this wonderful property if it had remained in your hands.
-
Only I suppose he'd have to wear pants...Harry, if you were fighting for him in your JC project...WELL DONE!
-
Too often you hear about the "bad" kind of people tasked with maintaining a great author or artist's estate, so it's nice to hear of someone who loved the work as much as the fans. Rest in peace, Danton Burroughs.
-
Just asking. And I'm sorry he never got to see a movie version of John Carter. It seems like it should have made it to the screen even as a flawed movie by now.
-
Actually the ERB corp is run by this Sandra chick and Jim Sullis guy, neither of who gave any respect to Danton that I could see. They treated him and his grandfather's property like an over the hill whore. Danton's passing is sad, but when you talk about the work he did? I mean giving a major franchise to Harry Knowles, whose main claim to fame is several competitive eating medals is not necessarily a smart move, nor is hiring the director of Sky Captain or Zathura. It has gotta suck to be a legacy, never creating anything cool but pimping out what you inherited the best you can. IF John Carter ever happens it will be SO not John Carter that it will be a cosmic joke.
-
I’m saddened by Mr. Burroughs passing as I am sorry to hear that you (Harry and Co. that is) are no longer involved with the project. I’m certain that your version of the vision would have rocked.
Really.
And what a vision John Carter from Mars is. I’m a firm believer that “Star Wars” wouldn’t have existed in its present form if Edgar Rice Burroughs never put pen to paper. I believe that the Pixar Boys will make magic. I pray that Brad Bird is on this one. John Carter deserves it.
-
to make a crapfest like PLUTO NASH or IN THE NAME OF THE KING but not this film before he died. Well we have "The Land That Time Forgot" ... sad thinking about all the turkeys we got stuck with while cool projects like JC collect dust.
-
But then again I like those old cheesy serials. To each his own, I guess...but I agree that Zathura sucked.
-
...That this weekend Favreau's IRON MAN will do absolutely killer business. They're talking about it beating SPIDER-MAN 2's numbers for opening weekend now, and I don't recall anyone being unhappy over those figures.Which means that had Favreau just been able to keep Paramount moderately interested in the property -- I mean just enough to keep the CARTER option alive -- right now he would have the power to get the movie made his way AND best of all he would've had Paramount kissing his ass and literally BEGGING him to take it on since now they'd be hoping to get another franchise launch out of him (given how well he's clearly handled IRON MAN).Ah, you gotta love Hollywood and all that creative foresight, no? I swear, ala M.Night's forthcoming film THE HAPPENING, why can't there be a freakin' happening that purges Hollywood suits once and for all? So that the people who control the money and who control "what" gets made are actually people who LOVE making movies instead of just being asswipe business majors that couldn't care less what they produced?
-
For those into all things Burroughs, Danton's name always surfaced whenever you got to talking about the legacy and protection and promotion of the ERB properties. He always did his best to keep those incredible worlds alive and out there in print or in some form of media development or whatever, and he certainly never stopped loving them with all his heart. RIP, Danton -- you did your family and all those beloved characters proud. Do me a favor and pet Woola for me!
-
And Favreau is obviously the pefect man for this. Hope he still pursues it.
-
I had the fortune to speak with Danton Burroughs a few times on the phone, and met him once at Comic-Con. He was a very nice and generous man, and was very respectful and loving towards his grandfather's creations.
Readers Talkback
User Login
Top Talkbacks
- Whitney Houston 1963 - 2012 -- 171 total posts 169 posts
- AVENGERS enemy revealed as pink boardgame pieces... You might suffer some form of elation... SPOILERS!!! -- 157 total posts 111 posts
- There's a STAR TREK video game that is going to lead into JJ's STAR TREK 2 apparently... -- 138 total posts 75 posts
- Here's The Red Band Trailer For Drafthouse Films' THE FP! -- 67 total posts 67 posts
- To Commemorate The 3D Release Of STAR WARS EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE, George Lucas Wants You To Know...Greedo Shoots First!! -- 479 total posts 62 posts
- New JUDGE DREDD post production footage pops up -- 59 total posts 59 posts
- Does ‘SNL’ Rhyme With ‘Deschanel’?? Learn Which SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE Vet Hosts After Sexy Zooey!! -- 62 total posts 59 posts
- HANNA's Saoirse Ronan to boss around seven little people -- 48 total posts 45 posts
- Friday Brings SWEEPS DAY NINE!! Gab Here About Tonight’s FRINGE!! Plus Einstein on TIM, Wiig On PORTLANDIA, MAHER, CLONE, GIFTED, GRIMM, SPARTACUS, SUPERNATURAL, GOLD RUSH And More!! -- 116 total posts 32 posts
- SPACE 2099!! -- 181 total posts 30 posts