Ready to go back to Barsoom?
Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc., representing the estate of the iconic author behind “Tarzan” among many others, has announced that Mark Andrews, the director of the Academy Award-winning Pixar animated film “Brave” and co-writer of the original live-action “John Carter” film (with Michael Chabon and Andrew Stanton) will be returning to Mars, as supervising director and co-showrunner (with head writer Michael Kogee) for an upcoming “John Carter, Warlord of Mars” animated series.
Andrews and Kogge will be speaking about the series at 4 P.M. Friday, July 24, 2026, in room 32B at San Diego Comic-Con.
“John Carter, Warlord of Mars: The Animated Series” is based on Burrough’s beloved science fiction series, which inspired everything from Frank Herbert’s “Dune” to George Lucas’ “Star Wars” to Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster’s “Superman.” Set on a dying Mars, the novels follow John Carter, a former Confederate soldier, who finds himself beamed to the red planet and in the middle of a different kind of war, between battling Martian factions and races.
What makes this new project so exciting is that it will be the first time the Carter stories will be realized through animation. While Bob Clampett tried, in the early 1930’s, to get an animated feature off the ground which, had it been made, would have pre-dated Walt Disney’s “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” and become the first animated feature ever, his efforts were ultimately unsuccessful. Clampett’s process would have involved rotoscoping, which was essentially painting over live-action elements. Maybe think of it as early performance capture. But this series will be really-for-real animation.
“’John Carter of Mars’ has influenced my life and my storytelling since I discovered it when I was ten years old. The concept that Mars is inhabited and is stuck between fantasy and sci-fi inspires me and calls to me just as the red planet called to Carter himself,” said Andrews in an official statement. “Animation is the best way to achieve the visual intensity and scope the story demands, and finally the tools and technology have arrived to deliver them. Animation is the perfect medium to bring Burroughs’ world to life.”
Kogge, who has authored a number of projects for the Lucasfilm publishing side of things and who wrote and directed the “John Carter of Mars” Audio Series, initially developed the animated show and continues to serve as co-showrunner and head writer. Jim Sullos and Wolf Larson will oversee the project for the legendary author’s estate.
“Not only is Mark a genuine visionary in cinematic animation, his passion for ‘John Carter’ knows no bounds,” Kogge said in an official statement. “He loves the epic nature of the ‘John Carter’ stories and is the perfect collaborator to bring Martian wonders to the screen in the way only animation can.”
“Bringing Mark Andrews and Michael Kogge together for ‘John Carter, Warlord of Mars’feels a little like destiny. They don’t just understand Burroughs’s version of Mars—they understand why his hero has inspired so many storytellers, and they’re the dream team to finally bring his story to life the way fans have always imagined it,” said Wolf Larson, head of the entertainment division of ERB, Inc, in an official statement. “If you’ve ever followed a farm boy to a galaxy far, far away, believed a man could fly, or been swept away by an epic adventure on another world, you’ve already crossed paths with John Carter. He’s been hiding in plain sight all along. We think it’s finally time for John Carter to step out of the shadows and remind the world where the adventure began—on Mars.”
“We are delighted to welcome Mark Andrews to the ‘John Carter of Mars’ animation team. As one of animation’s most accomplished storytellers, Mark brings unparalleled creative vision and experience to the project,” added Jim Sullos, President of ERB, Inc. “His passion for epic adventure and character-driven storytelling makes him an extraordinary addition to the world of Mars.”
Andrews is represented by Fourth Wall Management and Newhouse Porter Hubbard. Kogge is represented by Fourth Wall Management and Felker Toczek.
