‘John Carter’ Jumps Into Action With Two New Clips (Video)

Science-fiction (not to mention Taylor Kitsch) fans got a few more glimpses of the action that’s in store for them Wednesday with a collection of new clips from John Carter. Walt Disney Pictures released two new clips from Wall-E director Andrew Stanton’s first live-action feature, an adaptation of the first novel in Edgar Rice Burroughs’ iconic book series about a human who is mysteriously transported to Mars and becomes embroiled in the conflict between the planet’s nations.

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Anticipation is high for both fans of the property and distributor Disney, the latter of whom committed a reported $250 million to bringing Stanton’s vision to life. John Carter stars Kitsch as the title character, Lynn Collins as Dejah Thoris, and Mark Strong as Matai Shang, and features performance-capture efforts by Willem Dafoe, Thomas Haden Church, and Samantha Morton.

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In the first clip, entitled “Canyon Escape,” Kitsch and Collins’ find themselves on the opposite bank of a large canyon from an attacking army of hostile aliens. Looking down to the narrow canal below, they see another alien, one of their allies, on a raft, beckoning them to join him. Carter grabs Dejah and leaps nimbly down to the skiff, as the aliens on the other side of the canyon pelt them with spears and other weapons.

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In the second clip, “Legacy,” Disney pairs footage from the film with interviews with cast and crew members including director Andrew Stanton and stars Kitsch, Collins and Dafoe. Kitsch reveals that despite the film’s scope, it remains a character piece, while Dafoe observes the influence of the source material, suggesting that even Star Wars could not have existed without it.

John Carter is being released March 9, 2012.