Movie Cricket

First Utah nailed down the role of Mars in the big-budget "John Carter of Mars." Now the movie's human leads have been picked. 

Taylor Kitsch (from the "Friday Night Lights" TV series) and Lynn Collins (HBO's "True Blood") — who both co-starred with Hugh Jackman in "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," as the rakish Gambit and the alluring Kayla Silverfox — are set to star in the movie, which will start filming next spring, according to Daily Variety.

Kitsch plays the title character, a Civil War veteran who finds himself transported to Mars. Collins will play Dejah Thoris, the Princess of Mars.

Meanwhile, the Coming Soon web site reports that Thomas Haden Church — an Oscar nominee for "Sideways," last seen tormenting Eddie Murphy in "Imagine That" — divulged in an interview that he may be joining the "John Carter of Mars" cast.

The movie (set for a 2012 release) will be directed by Andrew Stanton, making his live-action debut after winning Oscars for his Pixar films, "Finding Nemo" and "Wall-E."