New adaptation of The Martian Chronicles still happening, now at Paramount

By Sean O'Neal | April 12, 2011 | 10:29pm

Aux Features Film

That new big-screen version of Ray Bradbury’s The Martian Chronicles that was first acknowledged back in June is still being prepped by producer John Davis—the formerly Fox-based filmmaker behind sci-fi movies such as Waterworld, the Predator series, and I, Robot—who has now brought the project to Paramount. Due to the change in studios, we suppose, plenty of news outlets are reporting on this as though it is just now happening, despite the fact that there’s nothing new to add—no writers or directors attached, no hints yet toward how they plan to condense the 28 stories within into one film or maybe even various installments in a “Martian Chronicles franchise,” no discussion of CGI creatures nor 3-D nor high-speed frame rates, no irascible comments from Bradbury himself. Just know that it’s still out there.

In lieu of any new, useful information, here’s a tidbit from John Davis’ Wikipedia page: “Davis is involved in other businesses, such as Jane Cosmetics; Red Mango, a frozen yogurt chain; television stations in Wisconsin and West Virginia; and Catalina Precision Products, which manufactures auto parts. In 2007, Davis and a group of investors sold their ownership stakes in Wetzel’s Pretzels Company, which Davis helped grow.” Huh. Guess sometimes a man just gets tired of growing pretzels.