Mark Andrews to direct John Carter animated series

Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. has tapped Oscar-winning filmmaker Mark Andrews to serve as supervising director and co-showrunner on an animated adaptation of John Carter, Warlord of Mars. Andrews and head writer Michael Kogge will discuss the series at San Diego Comic-Con on July 24, with the project billed as the first fully animated take on the Martian adventure franchise.

Why it matters: - Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. is pushing one of its most recognizable properties back into the spotlight with an animated series built for a modern audience. - The project pairs a Pixar veteran with a writer already familiar with the John Carter universe, which could help the adaptation land with both longtime fans and new viewers. - Animation gives the franchise a chance to show the scale of Burroughs’s Mars in a way live action has not fully delivered.

What happened: - Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. announced that Mark Andrews will serve as supervising director and co-showrunner for John Carter, Warlord of Mars: The Animated Series. - Michael Kogge will serve as co-showrunner and head writer. - Andrews and Kogge will speak about the series at 4 p.m. Friday, July 24, 2026, in room 32B at San Diego Comic-Con. - The announcement came from Tarzana, California.

The details: - The series is based on Edgar Rice Burroughs’s science fantasy novels set on a dying Mars where monsters roam the deserts and rival civilizations fight to survive. - John Carter, a soldier from Earth, is the central hero. - Andrews directed Pixar’s Brave and previously co-wrote and co-directed Disney’s 2012 live-action John Carter film. - Michael Kogge developed the animated show for Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. and continues as co-showrunner and head writer. - Kogge’s credits include work for Lucasfilm’s Star Wars projects and John Carter of Mars: The Audio Series. - Jim Sullos and Wolf Larson will oversee the project for Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. - Andrews is represented by Fourth Wall Management and Newhouse Porter Hubbard. - Kogge is represented by Fourth Wall Management and Felker Toczek. - The series will be the first time John Carter of Mars has been fully realized in animation. - A 1936 animation test reel by Bob Clampett and John Coleman Burroughs never received a green light from MGM. - Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. administers the intellectual property of Edgar Rice Burroughs and oversees authorized adaptations across film, television, radio, publishing, stage productions, licensing and merchandising.

Between the lines: - The announcement leans on both nostalgia and unfinished business, framing the animated series as the adaptation the property has long lacked. - Andrews’s comments position animation as the clearest way to deliver the scale and visual intensity of Mars. - The company is signaling confidence that John Carter can be repositioned as a foundational adventure franchise, not just a cult title tied to the 2012 movie. - Wolf Larson framed the project as a long-awaited chance for the character to emerge from the shadow of better-known space epics.

What's next: - Andrews and Kogge are set to appear at San Diego Comic-Con on July 24, where more details about the series may surface. - Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. will continue developing the animated adaptation with Andrews, Kogge and its internal entertainment team. - No release date, platform or production timeline was announced.

The bottom line: - John Carter is getting a new shot in animation, and Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. is betting that Mark Andrews can finally turn the classic Mars saga into a screen franchise with broad appeal.