Taylor Kitsch is currently starring in the cop action flick ’21 Bridges’ but the actor, who has starred in numerous films and TV projects, says he most gets recognized for one of the biggest flops in history– Disney’s 2012 box office disaster ‘John Carter’. With a reported production budget of $263.7 million, ‘John Carter’ only made $284.1 million worldwide, losing Disney approximately $126–$200 million.
Based on a series of novels by Edgar Rice Burroughs, ‘John Carter’ followed the adventures of a Civil War soldier who is transported to the Martian kingdom of Barsoom, where he finds himself caught in a war between powerful barbarian-like alien factions. Disney hoped that this would be the first of many films in a series.
While promoting his new film, Kitsch discussed ‘John Carter’ with The Hollywood Reporter, saying:
Disney
“I think it got another life when it went on Netflix not long ago, maybe a year ago or something, but, yes, to be blunt. People stop me all the time for that, especially in Europe. It’s had a little mini-resurgence. Maybe, at the time, it was more of a knee-jerk reaction of “Let’s see how we can bury this and everyone that has a part in it.” Over time, I think you take a breath and understand that it is what it is … I guess people who watch it now for the first time can take a lot more away from it than people did at first. It’s always flattering, and I learned a ton on that movie. I honestly don’t see it as a failure. I have great memories from it, and I still talk to a bunch of the cast. It is what it is, right?”
‘John Carter’ was directed by Andrew Stanton, who also directed some of Disney’s most beloved films, ‘Finding Nemo’, ‘Finding Dory’, and ‘Wall-E’. He also co-directed ‘A Bug’s Life’. Among his acclaimed TV jobs are ‘Stranger Things’, ‘Better Call Saul’, and ‘Legion’.
Coming off of the successful TV drama ‘Friday Night Lights’, Kitsch was eyed as being “The Next Big Thing,” but the failure of ‘John Carter’, along with ‘Battleship’ and ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine’ (he co-starred as Remy LeBeau/Gambit), sunk his chances of becoming a leading man in franchise flicks. But he has rebounded and keeps chugging forward. He received praise for his performance on HBO’s ‘True Detective’ and the Paramount Network’s ‘Waco’. He is now working on ‘SHADOWPLAY’ co-starring Michael C. Hall.
What do you think of ‘John Carter’? Does it deserve its negative reputation?
Jax's earliest memory is of watching 'Batman,' followed shortly by a memory of playing Batman & Robin with a friend, which entailed running outside in just their underwear and towels as capes. When adults told them they couldn't run around outside in their underwear, both boys promptly whipped theirs off and ran around in just capes.
