We had our first look at the forthcoming John Carter (Not of Mars Anymore) movie with the unveiling of the teaser poster and it didn’t exactly stamp an identity onto the project. However it is still early days and as more details and images emerge we’ll get a clearer picture of where Disney and director Andrew Stanton are going with the long awaited film.
The L.A. Times sat down with the director and the interview is essential reading for anyone with an interest in the project. It’s the first real peep behind the John Carter curtain with Stanton talking about his influences and reasons for taking on the project and makes very interesting comments like this one, when asked about the texture of the visuals:
I kept using the word “authentic” when I was out on set or doing art in development. I just wanted things to look like they had been through weather and use. I wanted things to look beat-up and old. This may sound weird, but I was always so impressed by the Monty Python films and Terry Gilliam’s sense of production value. Things really felt like they had been through the mud. And if you look at most historical films, for a little too long they always gave us things that looked a little too clean. People on my set could not distress things enough for me. Everything was pre-industrial; I wanted it to look made by hand. I wanted the pre-revolution days of Mars to look like tall ships on the skyline.
Stanton – you had me at Gilliam.
Here’s the rather snazzy artwork which accompanies the interview – look then go read.
