Of all the projects that have bounced around the block like Tralala in Last Exit to Brooklyn, few have the geek appeal and potential like John Carter of Mars. Especially considering that the talent keeps getting piled onto the project like so many locals on Tralala*. Though I am highly skeptical of Taylor Kitsch’s ability to headline such a nuanced project (because I am sane and would never watch a television series about football and fuck Gambit while we’re on the subject), the pieces surrounding him in Andrew Stanton’s flick are impressive and savvy as heck.
Today it was announced that James (A Knight’s Tale, Rome, and V for Ve… nevermind) Purefoy, Mark (Sherlock Holmes, RocknRolla) Strong, and Thomas Haden (Sideways, Spider-Man 3) Church were joining an ensemble that already boasts Willem Dafoe, Dominic West, Polly Walker, Samantha Morton, and Mr. Kitsch.
Those are fabulous additions, especially Strong, a guy who has risen up my list of favorite character actors to damn near the top. Watch Body of Lies and RocknRolla back to back and you’ll see the coming out party for a striking presence.
Some industry folks have intimated to me that this film is going to change the landscape for the genre and for what makes for an event film in the next decade. The fact that Pixar is making this stride, the absolute TLC the project will be given, and how it’s so rich and lovingly pulpy truly gives it the potential to change the landscape.
Brace yourselves folks. This isn’t going to be The Rocketeer, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, or The Phantom. Nothing against those flicks, but this will be the most effort devoted to something like this in history and I’m not going to count Peter Jackson’s King Kong in the mix because that was a monkey of a different feather.
If what I’ve been hearing is true, it’ll most likely blow your doors off.
* CHUD.com, your source for Last Exit to Brooklyn jokes.