Andrew Stanton, director of "Finding Nemo" and "WALL-E," recently talked to Sci Fi Wire about his upcoming project "John Carter of Mars."

Based on the books by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the film version focuses on a Civil War veteran who is mysteriously transported to Mars, where he encounters a bunch of four-armed, green creatures.

"[I'm] deep into it," he said. "I'm on my next draft of it. We're in preproduction art-wise, and we're starting to talk to actors. So it's full bore."

Stanton also told the Sci Fi Wire folks "Carter" will be a live-action flick: "I mean, there are so many creatures and characters that half of it's going to be CG whether you want it to be [or not], just to realize some of these images that are in the book. But it will feel real. The whole thing will feel very, very believable."

Expect the movie to hit theaters some time in 2012. Click here to read Stanton's complete "John Carter of Mars" interview.