The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn

[polkablues]

I suppose this is only tangentially related to Spielberg, since the odds of him actually directing it are about the same as the odds that I'll start shitting winning lottery tickets, but I didn't want to start a Grapevine thread until there was a little more development.  Anyways, here's the article that was on Yahoo:

Tintin Finally Does Tinseltown
Thursday March 8 4:12 PM ET

It was a quarter-century in the making but then again, nothing is easy for cartoon heroes such as Tintin.

Steven Spielberg's DreamWorks, a division of Viacom Inc., has committed to produce at least one movie about the adventures of the intrepid Belgian reporter, said Nick Rodwell, head of Moulinsart NV, Tintin's commercial studio, on Thursday.

"After 25 years, they finally said, `OK, let's go,'" Rodwell said of the protracted talks with Spielberg. In an interview with The Associated Press, Rodwell said the Hollywood company will go into preproduction for a movie, which should appear in theaters in about two years.

It wasn't clear whether the film would be cartoon animation, computer animation or a movie with actors, or which of the 24 cartoon books of Tintin's adventures would be picked.

"If movie No. 1 works, we will continue," Rodwell said.

Talks about a Hollywood movie on Tintin, who saves the lives of countless people and makes sure criminals end up behind bars, have long stalled on financial issues and production questions.

The first plan surfaced just before Tintin's creator, Georges Remi, aka Herge, died in 1983. Even at that time, Remi, one of the world's foremost cartoon strip authors, delighted in Hollywood's interest.

"If Steven Spielberg wants to make a Tintin film I cannot imagine anything better," Rodwell said of Remi's thoughts, and he fully realized that a movie adaptation might well change the way Tintin looks.

"Let's see what he comes up with," Rodwell said.

Tintin books have sold 220 million copies worldwide and have been translated in 77 languages.

___

On the Net:

Tintin:

http://www.tintin.com/

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While normal people get excited about things like Batman and X-Men... I get excited about Tintin.  I may be the only one, but I'm excited enough for all of us.  As long as they don't try to gear it towards kids too much, or cast Shia Lebouf as Tintin or hire Breck Eisner to direct, or anything else that might severely fuck up this film's potential, the books are perfect for cinematic adaptation.  I'm going to stay on top of this one.

[hedwig]

i have a family member who is OBSESSED with tintin and has been informing me on tintin movie updates for the past five years. 

[A Matter Of Chance]

...they'd better not fuck this up....

[cron]

tintin is fantastic. he's one of the reasons i wanted to be a journalist 

[MacGuffin]

Spielberg, Jackson team for Tintin
Duo pact for adventure trilogy
Source: Variety

Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson are teaming to direct and produce three back-to-back features based on Georges Remi's beloved Belgian comic-strip hero Tintin for DreamWorks. Pics will be produced in full digital 3-D using performance capture technology.

The two filmmakers will each direct at least one of the movies; studio wouldn't say which director would helm the third. Kathleen Kennedy joins Spielberg and Jackson as a producer on the three films, which might be released through DreamWorks Animation.

Tintin has long been a passion project for Spielberg, who has been trying to get film rights to the comedic and adventurous book series for more than 25 years, a goal realized over the past year. With the rights in place, Spielberg, Jackson and DreamWorks began quietly developing the project.

Jackson's New Zealand-based WETA Digital, the f/x house behind "The Lord of the Rings" franchise, produced a 20-minute test reel bringing to life the characters created by Remi, who wrote under the pen name of Herge.

"Herge's characters have been reborn as living beings, expressing emotion and a soul which goes far beyond anything we've seen to date with computer animated characters," Spielberg said.

"We want Tintin's adventures to have the reality of a live-action film, and yet Peter and I felt that shooting them in a traditional live-action format would simply not honor the distinctive look of the characters and world that Herge created," Spielberg continued.

Official word of the three-pic pact comes just weeks after Jackson inked a deal with DreamWorks to direct "Lovely Bones," based on Alice Sebold's haunting tome about a 14-year-old girl who watches over her family -- and attacker -- from heaven after she is raped and killed.

Tintin project, announced by the two filmmakers and DreamWorks co-chair-CEO Stacey Snider, may explain, at least in part, why DreamWorks emerged the winner in the bidding for "Bones," beating out several other suitors.

Tintin also answers the question of which tentpole Jackson will turn his attention to next.

The Spielberg-Jackson project isn't likely to languish in development for long. Spielberg could become available this fall after wrapping "Indiana Jones 4." Jackson will wrap "Bones" by the end of the year.

Spielberg and Jackson have selected three stories from Remi's "The Adventures of Tintin" series, which encompassed 23 books published between 1929 and 1976. The series still attracts 2 million new fans a year.

Series, which has sold more than 200 million copies worldwide, chronicles adventures of a junior reporter who will follows stories to the ends of the earth, even though he often finds his own life in jeopardy. His able assistants include a white dog named Snowy, the lunatic Captain Haddock, the muddled genius Professor Calculus and the Thompson Twins.

Jackson said WETA will stay true to Remi's original designs in bringing the cast of Tintin to life, but that the characters won't look cartoonish.

"Instead," Jackson said, "we're making them look photorealistic; the fibers of their clothing, the pores of their skin and each individual hair. They look exactly like real people --but real Herge people!"

DreamWorks bought the film rights from Herge Studios in Brussels, Belgium. Company is led by prexy Fanny Rodwell, Remi's wife when he died in 1983.

"We couldn't think of a better way to honor Herge's legacy that this announcement within days of the 100th anniversary of his birth, May 22, 1907," Rodwell said.

Spielberg and Jackson are currently evaluating whether to release Tintin through DreamWorks Animation. Paramount distributes all DreamWorks Animation films.

[polkablues]

Did my pants just get tighter?

[Ghostboy]

I really hope this is as amazing as it has the potential to be. I can't wait to see which of the comics gets adapted. And I'm so glad that it's not live-action....

[MacGuffin]

Did my pants just get tighter?

Probably from all the diarrhea scratchers your ass just leaked:

I suppose this is only tangentially related to Spielberg, since the odds of him actually directing it are about the same as the odds that I'll start shitting winning lottery tickets

[polkablues]

Amazing... I guess I had just gotten so used to Spielberg not directing movies that he was talking about directing, it never occurred to me that he might actually do the one that I really wanted him to do.

Let's take bets on how long before that WETA test footage ends up on YouTube. *crossing fingers*

[Pubrick]

are they gonna use james cameron technology or better?

i'm thinking not better.

[MacGuffin]

British writer on "Tintin" case

British scribe Steven Moffat, best known for writing the new "Doctor Who" series, is turning his hand to "Tintin," the DreamWorks movie trilogy collaboration from Peter Jackson and Steven Spielberg.

Tintin, created by late Belgian artist Herge, is a young reporter and world traveler who is aided in his adventures by his faithful dog Snowy. He later was joined by such colorful characters as Captain Haddock, Professor Cuthbert Calculus and bumbling detectives Thomson and Thompson.

The books, hugely popular in Europe, have been translated into 50 languages with more than 200 million sold.

Jackson and Spielberg are each directing an installment, with the helmer of the third movie to be determined.

[Pubrick]

don't know this moffat guy but i heard the new doctor who series SUCKED.

also, doctor who who? do americans even know the character?

hope they adapt that really racist episode about tintin in papua new guinea or whatever.

[MacGuffin]

Andy Serkis set for 'Tin Tin'
'King Kong' actor reuniting with Jackson
Source: Variety

Peter Jackson is set to reteam with his performance-capture muse Andy Serkis for DreamWorks' trilogy "Tintin," which is based on Georges Remi's Belgian comic-strip.

Steven Spielberg and Jackson will each helm at least one of the three films, though DreamWorks declined comment on the specific lineup.

Serkis, who has collaborated with Jackson on several films by providing the human expression and movements behind such CG characters as Gollum in "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy and the big ape in "King Kong," has signed on to star in the films. DreamWorks was mum on which character or characters the actor will play but said it will not be the titular Tintin.

Pics will chronicle the adventures of Tintin, a junior reporter who will follow stories even though he often finds his own life in jeopardy.

Principal photography on the first film is scheduled to begin in September.

Films will be based on three stories from "The Adventures of Tintin" series by Remi, who wrote under the pen name of Herge, and will be produced in full digital 3-D using performance capture technology. Jackson's New Zealand-based WETA Digital will provide the f/x work, which will commence before the September start date.

Spielberg and Jackson are producing "Tintin" alongside Kathleen Kennedy.

Serkis was nominated for a Golden Globe last week for his supporting role in the TV series "Longford."

[polkablues]

Either Captain Haddock, or (crossing fingers) the Thompson twins.

[Redlum]

Either Captain Haddock, or (crossing fingers) the Thompson twins.

I think he'd do a great Prof Calculus