“Friday Night Lights” and “Wolverine” star Taylor Kitsch is stepping up to his first lead role in a movie, playing the title character in “John Carter of Mars.”

Kitsch will reunite with his “Wolverine” co-star, Lynn Collins, for the Disney-produced movie, the showbiz trades report. Andrew Stanton, who directed the Pixar movies “A Bug’s Life,” “Finding Nemo” and “WALL-E,” will make his live-action directorial debut with the movie.

“John Carter” is based on the Edgar Rice Burroughs books about a Civil War veteran (Kitsch) who’s somehow transported to Mars and becomes involves in another war, between different races on the planet. Collins will play Dejah Thoris, a princess of one of Mars’ kingdoms.

SOURCE: Zap2It.com