Samantha Morton, Dominic West and Polly Walker – join Disney’s John Carter of Mars

I’ve been very excited about this since Michael Chabon was reportedly attached, and would have been anyways as I’m a huge fan and collector of the pulps. June and July brought us initial casting news, with Taylor Kitsch and Lynn Collins cast and joined by Willem Dafoe. According to THR, Disney has now added a trio to the cast of the film based on the classic Edgar Rice Burroughs source material.

I love me some Polly Walker and thought she was amazing in HBO’s Rome (let’s find a place for her in A Game of Thrones!) and once again we have an automatic Tomio-favorite due to her being in the Suchet Poirot series (Peril at End House-great episode!). She will be playing the role of Sarkoja, described in the report as a merciless, tyrannical Thark.

Dominic West is another HBO graduate, and will attempt to balance the score a bit, as awesome actors we see in The Wire disappear a bit when I see them on other projects. He should be able to handle Mars though, having his role in 300 in-pocket, when playing the role of Sab, a prince of the Zodangans.

Samantha Morton has basically been amazing in everything she’s ever been in. She will play the role of Dafoe’s daughter, Sola.

I do wonder about the status of of Thomas Hayden Church, who noted himself that he’d probably be in this film. Remember, you can read an excerpt of Chabon short fiction (published in McSweeneys) called The Martian Agent: A Planetary Romance. The film is being directed by Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo and WALL-E) and will be an adaptation of A Princess of Mars (1917), the first of the Burroughs Barsoom novels.

About Jay Tomio

...Jay Tomio is the co-owner of BSCreview and BSCkids--check out Jan-ken-pon, his time traveling, force-walking, multiverse crossing column. More fun awaits at the Vogue Immunity