"It’s a period film of a period we just don’t know about."

Film Here's a transcript of a really impressive presentation from the producers of the new John Carter film in which they explore such things as adaptation and casting and directing.

"I said, “That’s what I want. I want to feel like I’m really there. I want to feel like it’s really happening.” This is not what somebody wished for; this is what really happened. This is the source of the book. Then I realized that’s what it is: It’s a period film of a period we just don’t know about. It’s as if somebody has done their Martian research really, really well and called in all the authorities. I thought that’s the way to approach this. I don’t want it to seem like this is images of creatures that people have been drawing on their notebooks their whole life and just want to selfishly see realized on the screen; I want you to go, “No, sorry, this is actually how people dressed in Aztec times” or “This is how people bargained in Japanese feudal times.” Can we capture that faux authenticity?"

It's worth reading not just for the content, but as a point of comparison with directors who take a well loved property and don't seem to have this level of comprehension as to how to achieve it sensitively.