Edgar Rice Burroughs' At the Earth's Core

Edgar Rice Burroughs' At the Earth's Core is a 2014 British/American science fiction miniseries and based upon the novel At the Earth's Core by Tarzan creator Edgar Rice Burroughs. The 4 part miniseries first aired on April 4th 2014, the centenary of the original novels publication and concluded on April 25th 2014. The shows visual effects were done by Framestore, who also did the visual effects for Walking with Dinosaurs and Primeval. It was also the first installment of HBO's Burroughs Trilogy, it was then followed by two sequels, Greystoke: Tarzan of the Apes and John Carter and the Princess of Mars. The miniseries won a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series.

Plot
The series follows the adventure of David Innes, a 20 year old mining heir from Connecticut. He meets with Abner Perry, a good friend to his late father who shows him the plans for the Iron Mole, a drilling machine that collect coal at a much faster rate then normal miners. However during the test run, both David and Abner burrow directly through the Earth's crust and end up in Pellucidar, a vast underground world of perpetual noon inhabited dinosaurs, extinct mammals and various stone age tribes.

After being taken captive by the gorilla like Sagoths, David meets the beautiful cavewoman, Dian the Beautiful and falls in love with her. They are then brought to the city of Phutra where they are made slaves to the Sagoths masters, the Mahars, a cruel race of telepathic Pterosaur like humanoids who feed on the humans of Pellucidar as a food source.

David Innes manages to escape from Phutra where he allies himself with the noble Ghak the Hairy One and his reunites with Dian, he then proceeds to bring the tribes of Pellucidar together to overthrow the Mahars, the Sagoths and the Mahars lizardmen servants, the Horibs, and to free Pellucidar from their tyrannical reign forever.

Cast and Characters

 * Nicholas Hoult as David Innes - The main protagonist who is a 20 year old mining heir from Connecticut. He was approached by his late fathers friends, Abner Perry to help build an experimental drilling machine, the Iron Mole. However during the test run, they ended up burrowing 500 miles through the Earth and ended up in the underground world of Pellucidar.
 * Patrick Stewart as Abner Perry - An inventor who was a good friend to David's late father. He approached David with his idea for the Iron Mole, a machine which can help mine coal faster than before. However during the test run, a malfunction caused the Iron Mole to burrow directly to the underground world of Pellucidar.
 * Tania Raymonde as Dian the Beautiful - A beautiful cavewoman from Pellucidar and the beloved of David. She and David first met whilst they were being taken to Phutra as slaves by the Mahar's, she was revealed to have runaway from Amoz after Jubal the Ugly tried to claim her as his mate.
 * Alfie Allen as Hooja the Sly One - A craven and treacherous caveman who desires Dian for himself. He was a slave along with Dian, Ghak and Tanar when David and Abner were captured by the Sagoth's. During
 * Alan Rickman as Ghak the Hairy One - The chief of Sari who is the uncle of Dian and Dacor and the father of Tanar. He first appeared being a captive of the Sagoth's along with his son Tanar. During their captivity, he taught David some of the local customs of Pellucidar. He also becomes David's strongest ally in Pellucidar,
 * Henry Cavill as Tanar - Ghak's son who is the prince of Sari and the cousin of Dian and Dacor. He was captured by the Sagoth's along with his father and was been taken to the Mahar city of Phutra as a slave, during which he met and befriend David Innes.
 * Ashley Zukerman as Dacor the Strong One - Dian's brother and the son of Kandar. He appeared at the end of the fourth episode along with his mate, Canada the Graceful, where they met David and Dian who were on their way to Amoz
 * Nathalie Emmanuel as Canada the Graceful One - Dacor's mate from Thuria. She and Dacor appeared at the end of the fourth episode where they encountered David and Dian who were traveling to Amoz.
 * Bryan Cranston as Kandar the Mighty - The king of Amoz and the father of Dian and Dacor. He appeared at the end of the fourth where he was shown welcoming his daughter back to Amoz, he even welcomed David as his son in law.
 * Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson as Jubal the Ugly One - A suitor for Dian who won her by placing the head of a Tandor outside her fathers cave. He was called the ugly one due to having the skin on the right side of his face torn away, He later tracked Dian down, where he found her with David. He attempted to kill for supposedly taking Dian from him, however he was killed through a combined effort of David and Dian.
 * Noel Clarke as Ja - The King of the Anoroc Islands who becomes an ally to David. When they first met, David unknowingly stole his boat, which angered him. However after David saved him from a Slithc, the two of them became friends and Ja became David's ally in the fight against the Mahar's.
 * Jane Kaczmarek as Mahar Queen - The Queen of the Mahars and the main antagonist of the miniseries. She is the cruel and merciless ruler of the Mahars who views the humans of Pellucidar as either slaves or food, she is also the only Mahar who can speak in human language.
 * Andy Serkis as Borg - A Sagoth who is the chief of the Mahar's slavers. In truth he deeply resents the Mahar's for how they treat the humans and for making his people their slavers, he desires for his people to be free of them and to live freely. When David is brought to Phutra, he at first thinks nothing of him, however after learning of David's plan to overthrow the Mahar's, Borg becomes a friend and ally to him.
 * Jason Issacs as Horib Chief - The unnamed leader of the Horibs who is a loyal minion to the Mahars and serves as their tracker. The Horib Chief is a cruel and merciless being who hunts down any escaped Gilak without mercy, he is also fiercely loyal to the Mahars. He is killed in the fourth episode when he tracks David and Dian down to the Garden of Eden, his death is what inspired David to overthrow the Mahars.
 * Paul Benttany as Edgar Rice Burroughs - A famous author who wrote both the Barsoom and Tarzan novels. He appears at the beginning of the first episode and then again at the end of the fifth episode where David tells him the story of his adventures in Pellucidar. Burroughs is so impressed by Innes story that he vows to write it down.

Dinosaurs

 * Diplodocus (Lidi) - A huge 76 foot long sauropod dinosaur from the late Jurassic Morrison Formation 150 million years ago. A herd appeared in the second episode, being seen by David after he had escaped from Phutra. Several more were seen in the fifth episode where they were domesticated by the people of Amoz, Lidi are used by the people of Amoz as pack animals.
 * Iguanodon (Hyrth) - A giant herbivorous dinosaur from Early Cretaceous Europe, Asia and North America 130 million years ago. A herd appear in the first episode when they pass the Sagoth slave convoy, several more Hyrth were later seen in the Mahar city of Phutra, being used as mounts by the Horib. They are also one of three creatures to appear in every episode, the other been the Thipdar and the Zryal.
 * Ornithomimus (Dryal) - An ostrich like dinosaur from late Cretaceous North America 65 million years ago. A small group appeared in the fourth episode, two of them were caught and domesticated by David and Dian who then used them as mounts.
 * Stegosaurus (Dyrodor) - A famous plate backed and spiked tailed dinosaur from the late Jurassic Morrison Formation 150 million years ago. A pair of Dyrodor appeared in the fourth episode, they were seen drinking from the lake that David and Dian had gotten skinny dipping in.
 * Styracosaurus (Zyor) - A spike frilled horned dinosaur from late Cretaceous Dinosaur Park Formation 75 million years ago. A dead one appeared in the fourth episode being devoured by a pack of Jalok by David and Dian on their journey to Amoz.
 * Triceratops (Gyor) - A famous three horned herbivorous dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous Hells Creek Formation 65 million years ago. One appeared in the third episode where it was shown fighting a Zarith before being killed by having its head ripped off.
 * Tyrannosaurus Rex (Zarith) - A well known theropod from the Late Cretaceous, Hells Creek Formation 65 million years ago. It is the top predator of Pellucidar, it appears twice times during the miniseries. One appears in the third episode where it was shown fighting and killing a Gyor. Two appeared in the fourth episode they were driven to Phutra by the Federated Tribes of Pellucidar.
 * Velociraptor (Zryal) - A famous small theropod from the late Cretaceous Djadochta Formation 75 million years ago. They are used by the Horibs as both guard and attack animals, they are the most recurring animal in the miniseries along with the Thipdar.

Prehistoric Reptiles

 * Archelon (Tola) - A giant sea turtle from the late Cretaceous North America 75 million years ago. Several appeared in the third episode once on the beach where David unknowingly stole Ja's dugout, later they appear again, swimming in the sea when David and Ja were rowing back to land following their escape from the Mahar temple.
 * Deinosuchus (Slithic) - A giant crocodilian from late Cretaceous North America 75 million years ago. One appeared in the third episode where it was shown attacking Ja whilst he was trying to swim to his dugout, after David had unknowingly stolen it. It attempted to attack him, but David saved him by throwing a spear in its mouth which killed it.
 * Ichthyosaurus (Azdryth) - A dolphin like marine reptile from early Jurassic Europe 190 million years ago. A small pod appeared in the third episode, they were seen leaping out by David and Ja whilst they were rowing back to land following their escape from the Mahar temple.
 * Plesiosaurus (Tandoraz) - A long necked marine reptile from early Jurassic Europe 190 million years ago. One appeared in the third episode whilst David and Ja were rowing back to Phutra, it attacked them by overturning their dugout and attempted to devour David, however Ja managed by kill the creature by throwing a spear into its mouth.
 * Pteranodon (Thipdar) - A large fish-eating Pterosaur from Late Cretaceous North America. They are the most featured creature in the miniseries, appearing in every episode. They are used by the Mahar's as both pets and as guard animals.

Prehistoric Mammals

 * Hyaenodon (Jalok) - A large carnivorous mammal from Eurasia and North America during the Eocene and Miocene. A pair appeared in the first episode, where David was forced to fight them, they were then scarred off when the Sagoth's arrived. An orphaned Jalok cub appeared in the third episode, he was adopted by David and named Raja.
 * Megaloceros (Ayal) - A species of giant deer also known as the Irish Elk from Eurasia during the Pleistocene Ice Age. A small herd appeared in the third episode where they were seen being stalked by David and Dian, they managed to bring down a big stag, causing the rest of the herd to flee.
 * Megatherium (Dyryth) - A giant ground sloth from South America during the Pleistocene Ice Age. An aggressive individual appeared in the first episode as first creature seen by David and Abner when they enter Pellucidar, it chased David through a forest until he was grabbed by the Ape-Men.
 * Smilodon (Tarag) - A famous lion sized cat with two saber teeth from North and South America during the Pleistocene Ice Age. A pair of Tarag appeared in the second episode where they were used by the Mahar's in their arena, David, Ghak and Tanar were forced to fight them as punishment. One was killed when David impaled it on a spear, whilst the other was gored by a Salok.
 * Woolly Mammoth (Tandor) - A famous hairy elephant like mammal from Eurasia and North America during the Pleistocene Ice Age. It was mentioned in the first episode where Dian mentioned that Jubal the Ugly had claimed her as his mate by placing the head of one outside her fathers cave, A herd appeared during the fourth episode grazing whilst David and Dian were traveling to Amoz.
 * Woolly Rhinoceros (Salok) - A hairy rhinoceros from Eurasia during the Pleistocene. One appeared in the second episode where was used by the Mahars as a fight beast in their arena, it was made to fight David, Ghak, Tanar and a pair of Tarag.

Races of Pellucidar

 * Ape-Men - A race of black furred creatures with prehensile tails, receding foreheads, short legs and long arms who are arboreal in nature. They are the first non human race who David encounters after arriving in Pellucidar, they captured David and brought him to their village where they stripped him naked and forced him to fight a Jalok.
 * Gilaks - The human inhabitants of Pellucidar. They have an enhanced homing instinct, meaning they can find their way home, no matter where in Pellucidar they are.
 * Horibs - A race of ferocious lizardmen who serve the Mahar's as their hunters and trackers. They are one of two races, the other being the Sagoths, who serve the Mahar's.
 * Mahars - The master race and rulers of Pellucidar who resemble humanoid Rhamphorhynchus. They enslave most of the human tribes in Pellucidar by using their Sagoth and Horib minions. The Mahar's are deaf but developed a communicate based on movement. The entire Mahar race is also female, due to a formula which allowed them to reproduce with the need for males, this resulted in the complete extermination of the Mahar's male population.
 * Sagoths - A race of brown furred Gorilla-like beings who serve the Mahar's as their slavers. They are one of two races, the other being the Horibs, who serve the Mahar's. Sagoths wear mostly a loincloth, a tunic and sandals.

Locations

 * Connecticut - A state located along the New England region of the Northeastern United States and is the home of David Innes and Abner Perry.
 * Pellucidar - A vast underground world located 500 miles under the Earth's crust. It is inhabited by a variety of dinosaurs, extinct mammals and various stone age tribes, some human and others not human. Pellucidar is lit by a miniature sun, which never changes in brightness and never sets thus keeping the inner world in eternal noon.
 * Amoz - The homeland of Dian the Beautiful and her brother Dacor the Strong, it is ruled by their father, Kandar the Mighty.
 * Garden of Eden - A quiet and peaceful grove where David and Dian stayed whilst traveling to Dian's home of Amoz. It was where they both confessed their love for each other and became mates.
 * Land of Awful Shadow (Mentioned Only) - A region that is avoided by the tribes of Pellucidar. It is where Pellucidar's sun is permanently by its moon, therefore covering the entire region in darkness.
 * Phutra - The main city of the Mahars and the capital of their empire. It is located underground and mist marked by several granite pillars scattered over a plain.
 * Sari - The home of the most powerful tribe in Pellucidar, Ghak the Hairy One is its chief.
 * Thuria (Mentioned Only) - A land located in the North of Pellucidar, it is the home of Dacor the Strong's mate, Canada the Graceful One.

Changes from the Novel
Despite being mostly faithful to the novel, several changes were made to the miniseries.


 * The miniseries is set in 1907, in the original novel it is set in 1904.
 * Abner Perry is portrayed as being a good friend to David's late father, there is no mention of this in the novel.
 * After being captured by the Ape-Men in the novel, David is stripped down to his underwear. In the miniseries, he is stripped completely naked and is later given a loincloth by the Sagoths.
 * In the miniseries, Abner Perry manages to keeps his clothes. In the novel, he is reduced to wearing a simple loincloth.
 * In the novel David was revealed to have been in Pellucidar for 10 years, in the miniseries he is in Pellucidar for only 3 years.
 * There is a Sagoth named Borg who becomes an ally to David during his revolution against the Mahars,
 * David's pet Hyaenodon Raja appears in the miniseries. He never appeared in the original novel, instead he appeared in its sequel, Pellucidar.
 * Ghak's son Tanar never appeared in the original novel, he appeared in the later novel, Tanar of Pellucidar.
 * In the novel, the Mahar Queen communicated through telepathically like the rest of her race. In the miniseries, she is the only one capable of speech.
 * The Horibs appear as the hunters of the Mahars. They never appeared in the original novel, they instead appeared in the later novel, Tarzan at the Earth's Core.
 * In the novel it was David, Ghak and Abner who were forced to fight in the Mahar arena. In the miniseries it is David, Ghak and Tanar.
 * In the original novel, the Mahars were never defeated. Instead they were defeated in its sequel novel, Pellucidar.
 * Abner Perry dies in the miniseries, in the original novel he survives.
 * In the novel Dian was kidnapped by Hooja, who then placed a Mahar on the Iron Mole with David. In the miniseries both David and Dian return to the surface, where they marry and have a son.
 * In the novel Burroughs met Innes in the Sahara desert, in the miniseries they both meet in a library in Connecticut.

Trivia

 * Alfie Allen, Nathalle Emmanuelle and Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson all previously starred together on the HBO series, Game of Thrones.

Episode 1

 * David is captured and stripped naked by the Ape-Men, his buttocks is seen. He is later given a loincloth by the Sagoths.

Episode 2

 * In a large cavern several women are seen naked, with breasts and buttocks been seen.

Episode 3

 * David and Dian confess their love for each other before stripping off their clothes. Both David and Dian's buttocks are seen, Dian's breasts are also seen. They then make love before going skinny dipping, their love scene contains thrusting and moaning.

Episode 2

 * A woman has several body parts taken off and eaten by a Mahar.
 * A man is dissected alive.

Episode 2

 * The scene in the Mahar temple is quite disturbing.
 * The dissected man's screams are