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John Carter is a 2012 American science fiction action-adventure film directed by Andrew Stanton, written by Stanton, Mark Andrews, and Michael Chabon, and based on A Princess of Mars, the first book in Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Barsoom novel series. Produced by Jim Morris, Colin Wilson, and Lindsey Collins, it stars Taylor Kitsch in the title role, Lynn Collins, Samantha Morton, Mark Strong, Ciarán Hinds, Dominic West, James Purefoy, and Willem Dafoe. It chronicles the first interplanetary adventure of John Carter and his attempts to mediate civil unrest between the warring kingdoms of Barsoom.

Since the 1930s, several major studios and producers had attempted to adapt the Barsoom series. Most of these efforts ultimately stalled in developmental disaster. In the late 2000s, Walt Disney Pictures began a concerted effort to adapt Burroughs’ works for film, following a project abandoned in the 1980s. The project was spearheaded by Stanton, who had pressured Disney to renew the film rights from the Burroughs estate. Stanton became the director of the new film in 2009. It was his live-action debut, following his work as a director for Disney on the Pixar animated films Finding Nemo and WALL-E. Filming began in November 2009, with principal photography underway in January 2010 and wrapping seven months later in July. Michael Giacchino, who composed the music for many Pixar films, composed the score. Like Pixar’s Brave that same year, the film is dedicated to the memory of Steve Jobs.

It was released in the United States by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures on March 9, 2012, marking the 100th anniversary of the title character’s first appearance. It was presented in Disney Digital 3-D, RealD 3D, and IMAX 3D formats. It received mixed reviews, with praise for its visual effects, Giacchino’s score, and action sequences, but criticism for its characterization and plot. It flopped at the North American box office but set a record upon its opening in Russia. It grossed $284 million worldwide.