The slashfilm Website is reporting that Pixar is planning a trilogy of films based on Edgar Rice Burroughs' Martian novels.  The report is based on an item in the online ERBzine describing a visit to ERB Archives in Tarzana, California by a Pixar team that included director Andrew Stanton (Finding Nemo), VP Jim Morris, and writer Marc Andrews.  The Pixar team met with representatives of the Burroughs estate including Danton Burroughs, ERB's grandson, and reportedly promised that the first computer animated film (which may include live action elements) in the series, tentatively entitled John Carter of Mars, will open before 2012.

Edgar Rice Burroughs introduced the character of Civil War veteran/Martian explorer John Carter in the novel A Princess of Mars, which was published in 1917 (the material had appeared in serial form as Under the Moons of Mars in the magazine All-Story in 1911-1912).  Mysteriously transported to Mars after his apparent death, Carter, with his earthman's body, was stronger than the Martian natives in the weak gravity environment of the Red Planet.  Carter's great strength and leadership qualities naturally led to high adventure as he battles a number of alien creatures on the planet that the natives referred to as 'Barsoom.'

There have been many previous attempts to create a movie (or series of movies) based on ERB's Martian novels.  Disney/Touchstone came close in the late 1980s with director John McTiernan (Die Hard) in charge. Paramount acquired the rights in 2002 and put considerable effort into the project and numerous directors including Robert Rodriguez (Sin City), Kelly Conran (Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow) and Jon Favreau (Iron Man, see 'John Carter Gets a Director').  Earlier this year Disney reacquired the rights (see 'John Carter of Mars Headed for Disney').