# "A Princess of Mars" movie? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 29, 2003, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-princess-of-mars-movie/185152 "2003-06-29T13:27:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Soup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/977dab/32.png) [@Soup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soup)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-princess-of-mars-movie/185152/1 "2003-06-29T13:27:49Z")
Anyone hear anything of a movie version of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ “A Princess of Mars” novel? ---
**Author:** ![Sikander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@Sikander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sikander)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-princess-of-mars-movie/185152/2 "2003-06-29T14:56:21Z")
This was in development back in '92, but ended up being ditched. John McTiernan helmed it, and if I recall correctly Julia Roberts and Tom Cruise were both signed up to star. Can’t remember exactly what stopped it from happening. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-princess-of-mars-movie/185152/3 "2003-06-29T19:28:29Z")
I could, maybe, see Cruise as John Carter. But Roberts as(I presume) Dejah Thoris? Ugh! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2003, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-princess-of-mars-movie/185152/4 "2003-06-29T20:13:36Z")
> [@](#): > > I could, maybe, see Cruise as John Carter. Um, **Baker** , I think you need to clean off your glasses, there. Cruise as John Carter?!? The role requires someone muscular, tall, and with more testosterone than hemoglobin in his veins. Ahnold or Stallone, in their heydays, sure, though they’re both getting a bit long in the tooth. Russel Crowe, maybe, or even Bruce Willis or Mel Gibson. Back in the day, John Wayne would have been great. But Tom Cruise would just be totally wrong. I agree that Julia Roberts isn’t the best choice, either, but they could do worse, there. Whereas, short of DiCaprio (pardon me while I retch), they really _couldn’t_ do worse than Cruise. Come to think of it, though, we already know that Ms. Roberts doesn’t approve of Barsoomian women’s fashions, so she’s probably out, too. ---
**Author:** ![Theobroma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5a626/32.png) [@Theobroma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Theobroma)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2003, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-princess-of-mars-movie/185152/5 "2003-06-30T00:49:14Z")
No…get this… Rebecca Romijn-Stamos IS Dejah Thoris! …and why not? She’s certainly willing to be nearly naked onscreen and covered with bodypaint, right? And I’ve read that book, the dialogue is so cheesy it doesn’t matter if she can act or not… But who is John Carter? Stallone, even in his heyday, was about 8 inches too short. Today’s crop of young actors are pretty touchy-feely for a brute man-o’-action like JC. Maybe they should cast out of a bodybuilding competition or a NYC gym, and pick up another Ahnuld type. I do think an athlete would be a better casting choice than an actor (given the likely dialogue). Discuss. ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2003, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-princess-of-mars-movie/185152/6 "2003-06-30T00:54:12Z")
I think an unknown should be cast as John Carter, but also that Rebecca Romijn-Stamos would be _perfect_ as Dejah Thoris. Her or someone just like her. And it has to be set in the novel’s time period…mid-1890s, I believe. No updating to present day! …I mean, if it were going to happen in the first place, which it looks like it won’t. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2003, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-princess-of-mars-movie/185152/7 "2003-06-30T00:59:49Z")
Somebody has picked up the option at a different studio. The first 3 Barsoom novels are a “go”. There was a thread on this, but I can’t find it. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2003, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-princess-of-mars-movie/185152/8 "2003-06-30T01:09:25Z")
> [@](#): > > No…get this… > > Rebecca Romijn-Stamos IS Dejah Thoris! Don’t you guys know anything about Cafe Society policies? If you’re going to post something like this, you’ve gotta link a picture! And you may have a point about acting ability… In this case, cheesy is good. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2003, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-princess-of-mars-movie/185152/9 "2003-06-30T01:10:37Z")
Just so they don’t camp it up…and just so they don’t let Bo Derek get involved. ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2003, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-princess-of-mars-movie/185152/10 "2003-06-30T01:15:01Z")
I’m thinking casting Tars Tarkas will be the greater challenge. ---
**Author:** ![MusicJunkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@MusicJunkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MusicJunkie)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2003, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-princess-of-mars-movie/185152/11 "2003-06-30T01:16:11Z")
I guessed Tarkas would be CGI. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2003, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-princess-of-mars-movie/185152/12 "2003-06-30T02:03:24Z")
Maybe Jason Statham as John Carter? He’s tall and kinda well built—a little time with a trainer and he could be more muscular. ---
**Author:** ![Tars\_Tarkas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tars\_Tarkas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tars_Tarkas)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2003, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-princess-of-mars-movie/185152/13 "2003-06-30T04:26:42Z")
[John Carter of Mars](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=109154&highlight=John+Carter+of+Mars) ---
**Author:** ![Pabitel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bbce88/32.png) [@Pabitel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pabitel)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2003, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-princess-of-mars-movie/185152/14 "2003-06-30T12:35:44Z")
I think John Carter would be the ideal role for Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. ---
**Author:** ![Soup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/977dab/32.png) [@Soup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soup)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2003, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-princess-of-mars-movie/185152/15 "2003-06-30T17:33:44Z")
How about Angelina Jolie as Dejah Thoris? I agree that Tars Tarkas would probably be CGI, but he’ll need a big voice. Michael Clarke Duncan could do it. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2003, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-princess-of-mars-movie/185152/16 "2003-06-30T17:44:12Z")
Stop calling him ‘JC’…I’m getting a complex here. And I disagree that he needs to be hugely musclebound. Strong, trim, limber. That’s more the build of a swordsman than an iron pounder. I always thought Disney should do it as one of their animated movies.