'Mars' franchise eyes Oz
by Fiona Williams, Encore Magazine
Australia's outback locations have shown up on the radar of the producers of the VFX-laden sci-fi adventure John Carter of Mars, who are believed to have earmarked an Australian shoot for the project, which is currently in development.
John Carter of Mars is a Paramount/Alphaville adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs' classic science-fiction novel series of the same name, which follows a civil war veteran who is transported to Mars and becomes a saviour of the red planet's inhabitants. The film is based on the first book in the series, Princess of Mars, which was written in 1912.
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow director Kerry Conran is at the helm, for producers Marty Katz, Sean Daniel, James Jacks and Harry J Knowles. Katz's credits include The Great Raid, which shot at Queensland's Warner Roadshow Studios in 2002.
Writers Ehren Kruger and Mark Protosevich are still scripting the film ahead of a tentative 2006 start date. A source said no Australian studio complex had been singled out. However the timing might suggest a Melbourne-based shoot at Central City Studios, as both Queensland's Warner Roadshow Studios and Sydney's Fox Studios Australia would both be full. A spokesperson for Central City Studios was unavailable for comment at press time.
The film would demand a large degree of location work and incorporate a huge VFX component. Australia's outback last doubled for Mars in Warner Bros' 2000 film, Red Planet.
Paramount acquired the film rights to Burroughs' 11-book series in 2002 with a view to developing the series into a major film franchise. Conran came on board after Spy Kids'Robert Rodriguez quit the Directors Guild of America and in so doing became ineligible to direct a big studio film.
Alphaville's previous VFX-laden efforts include The Mummy, its sequel and the franchise's spin-off, The Scorpian King.
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