John Carter (2012)
- Andrew Stanton originally wanted a completely different ending for the film, but test audiences preferred the one we see today.
- Before Taylor Kitsch was cast, several major A-list stars turned down the lead role because they felt the script was too risky.
- The incredible score for John Carter was composed in just a few weeks after the original composer dropped out.
John Carter is a 2012 American science fiction adventure directed by Andrew Stanton, based on Edgar Rice Burroughs's 1912 novel A Princess of Mars. Taylor Kitsch stars as John Carter, a disillusioned Civil War veteran who is mysteriously transported to the planet Barsoom β Mars β where the lower gravity gives him superhuman strength and the ability to leap enormous distances. Carter becomes entangled in a war between the humanoid city-states of Helium and Zodanga while forming an alliance with the Tharks, a tribe of towering, four-armed green Martians.
John Carter became one of the most infamous box office failures in Hollywood history β its $250 million production budget (plus an estimated $100 million in marketing) against $284 million in worldwide grossings resulted in a reported $200 million loss for Disney. The film's commercial catastrophe was attributed to poor marketing, an uninspiring title, and audience unfamiliarity with the source material. Despite the financial disaster, John Carter received some critical defenders who praised its old-fashioned adventure spirit and Andrew Stanton's world-building ambition.
