Dominic West Comments on John Carter and Disney’s Marketing of the Film

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Dominic West (Sab Than) has gone on record with some interesting comments about John Carter and Disney’s marketing campaign.  It’s in an interview in A.V. Club.  Here’s the section dealing with John Carter.

AVC:  John Carter!

DW: Ah! [With overdramatic bombast] My finest role to date! [Laughs.] I don’t know what it was about that film. I don’t know why it’s done so badly, or that it’s perceived as being the Hollywood flop in Hollywood history. It’s not that bad at all.

AVC: No, it isn’t. 

DW: There, you see? [Laughs.] No, but I thought it was a brilliant film. As you’d expect from Andrew Stanton, who’s a fucking genius. And I don’t know what happened, except I think it’s to do with Hollywood politics that it was just put in the bin. And I think it’s really unfair. I had a great time doing it. We shot in London, then we were out in Utah, and it was just fantastic. And he’s the nicest man on the planet, Andrew, and anyone to do with Pixar, who were there all the time; they have such drive and such a life-affirmative attitude. I loved it. They were great people. So I wish it wasn’t panned so badly. In fact, the critics didn’t mind it. It wasn’t a critical problem.

AVC: Bryan Cranston is very much of the mindset that the problem lies with the constant reporting of box-office figures. But the marketing campaign didn’t exactly help, either.

DW: It was terrible! And it was completely changed! I saw it two years ago, after we shot it, and they had the marketing campaign already out and it was amazing. But for some reason they got rid of all that, and they failed to mention that this was the granddaddy of science-fiction adventure stories, so everyone was going, “Why haven’t they got people who sound like the ones in Star Wars?” When, in fact, the whole point was that John Carter inspired Star Wars. So I think they did mess that up a bit.

His comment that “it was completely changed!” is one of the strongest statements of this type that have come out so far from anyone deeply involved in the production — calling it “terrible” is also a tad more forthright than anyone else has been.

I think his reference to “constant reporting of box-office figures” is also an interesting one, as for sure the whole media and popular fixation on box office was a significant part of the problem with John Carter.

8 comments

  • We absolutely love this film. It is brilliant portraying alien cultures. We have watched 20-30 times! But then our friend wanted her movie back. ? I am looking for one in good condition. We must carry on the legacy.

  • I certainly hope that the actors and actresses from “John Carter” gradually receive more recognition for their work — Lynn Collins and Taylor Kitsch were dedicated professionals in this production, which demanded both acting and extreme physical performances. Willem Dafoe, Dominic West, Mark Strong, Daryl Sabara, Ciaran Hinds. Samantha Morton, and Bryan Cranston all were super professionals. I thought Bryan Cranston’s performance as Powell was am especially fine mini-movie in itself, with drama and humor. Congratulations are due.

  • I hope Mr. West wasn’t referring to the teaser trailer. It did more damage next to changing the name as far as the marketing went.

    As for his comment “Andrew Stanton is a f—ing genius” is there an eye-rolling emoticon?

  • I thought M. West was probably speaking about the “My Body is a Cage” teaser. But Michael has perhaps other inside informations.

  • I appreciate his enthusiasm, but he obviously has patience and if he’d waited just a few short months more, he could have picked up the DVD at WalMart for $14.95 (current price) – or waited a bit more (my guesstimate is shortly after the new year) for it to drop to its proper pricing in the $5.00 bin.

    I think we’ll get that sequel on the same day Hollywood remakes Plan 9 From Outer Space.

  • I wonder what the original marketing campaign was like? Any way of putting this in your book Michael ?

  • “And I don’t know what happened, except I think it’s to do with Hollywood politics that it was just put in the bin. And I think it’s really unfair.”

    Good, and sad, summary. 🙁

    I really hope we will see more support like this along the months and years to come, that will determine if John Carter is really the kind of movie to have a legacy.

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