The Pixar team has confirmed to EBZine that they recently made a trip to Edgar Rice Burroughs archives, doing research for a trilogy of John Carter of Mars films.

Directors Andrew Stanton, Mark Andrews and Pixar executive Jim Morris all attended and confirmed the first John Carter film, which will be part live-action, would hit theaters before 2012.

The movie will follow Civil War vet John Carter, who is transplanted to Mars, where he discovers a lush, wildly diverse planet whose main inhabitants are 12-foot tall green barbarians.

Finding himself a prisoner of these creatures, he escapes, only to encounter Dejah Thoris, Princess of Helium, who is in desperate need of a savior.

At present the studio has "Wall-E" in 2008, "Up" in 2009, "Toy Story 3" in 2010, and "1906" or the first 'Carter' film for 2011.