Ghosts of Mars (2001) – WTF Happened to This Horror Movie?

A new episode of the WTF Happened to This Horror Movie? video series has been released this morning, and in this episode we’re looking back at one of the least popular films to be directed by the legendary John Carpenter: the 2001 release Ghosts of Mars (watch it HERE). Why didn’t Ghosts of Mars turn out to be another Carpenter classic? We try to figure that out in the video embedded above.

Directed by Carpenter from a script he wrote with Larry Sulkis, Ghosts of Mars has the following synopsis: Long inhabited by human settlers, the Red Planet has become the manifest destiny of an over-populated Earth. Nearly 640,000 people now live and work all over Mars, mining the planet for its abundant natural resources. But one of those mining operations has uncovered a deadly mother lode: a long-dormant Martian civilization whose warriors are systematically taking over the bodies of human intruders.

The film stars Natasha Henstridge, Ice Cube, Jason Statham, Clea DuVall, Pam Grier, Joanna Cassidy, Richard Cetrone, Eileen Weisinger, Liam Waite, Duane Davis, Lobo Sebastian, Rodney A. Grant, Peter Jason, Wanda De Jesus, Robert Carradine, Rosemary Forsyth, Doug McGrath, Rick Edelstein, Rex Linn, Marjean Holden, and Charlotte Cornwell.

This is what the WTF Happened to This Horror Movie series is all about: Hollywood has had its fair share of historically troubled productions. Whether it was casting changes, actor deaths, fired directors, in-production rewrites, constant delays, budget cuts or studio edits, these films had every intention to be a blockbuster, but were beset with unforeseen disasters. Sometimes huge hits, sometimes box office bombs. Either way, we have to ask: WTF Happened To This Horror Movie?

The Ghosts of Mars episode of WTF Happened to This Horror Movie? was Written by Mike Conway, Edited by Jaime Vasquez, Narrated by Jason Hewlett, Produced by Lance Vlcek and John Fallon, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.

A couple of the previous episodes of the show can be seen below. To see more, head over to our JoBlo Horror Originals YouTube channel – and subscribe while you’re there!

What do you think of Ghosts of Mars? Let us know by leaving a comment!