The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn (Spielberg, 2011)

[kaytee]

Big news coming out today if you were to believe Variety that is:

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.

[X.]

I'm glad they're using Performance Capture for "Tintin." That is the only way to honour the timeless look of the Herge world. I'm sold.

[shariqq]

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.

What not for those shots. But knowing Weta, it won't get leaked unless officially.

[theoddball]

OK, casting call for the voice acting. Who would you cast for:

Tintin
Captain Haddock
Prof. Calculus
Thomson & Thompson
...and last but not least, the deliciously sleazy Mr. Bohlwinkel (from The Shooting Star)

[X.]

Inspired by the news of the movie(s), I've just acquired the rare, exquisite Canadian DVD sets of the collected 90s Tintin cartoons -- honestly, I don't remember half of it; so, presently, at a loss to offer any voice talent suggestions.

[fizz]

Update:

A recent interview with Andy Serkis revealed some more details about the upcoming trilogy of motion capture movies based on the classic "TinTin" adventure comics being produced by Peter Jackson and Steven Spielberg. Namely, that Spielberg's movie will come first, Jackson's will be second, and the director of the third is still unknown (and the list of rumored candidates is legion, including James Cameron, I've heard). Serkis also confirmed his own role in the movies, as Captain Haddock, the persistently cranky and blustrous bearded sailor who is one of TinTin's most frequent companions.

.

[ozzylogic]

WOW. I am SO looking forward to this...I read more books than the cartoons, and they were all brilliant.

[madali]

Am I the only one who thought the cartoons sucked?

[ozzylogic]

Most prolly.

[theoddball]

Am I the only one who thought the cartoons sucked?

No, you're not the only one, Mad. I thought they sucked too. Can't touch the books.

[shariqq]

I never saw the cartoons, but the books were really good.
Love Thomson & Thompson.

[ozzylogic]

The cartoons sucked relatively speaking . The books were gems!

[X.]

You're all out of your motherfucking minds! The cartoons are wonderful, especially because they are so close to the aesthetic and tone of the Hergé books.

Once I'm back in Dubai, we'll have a screening of a couple of episodes. And if you're still not convinced, I promise to commit harakiri, right then and there!

[fizz]

You're all out of your motherfucking minds! The cartoons are wonderful, especially because they are so close to the aesthetic and tone of the Hergé books.

Once I'm back in Dubai, we'll have a screening of a couple of episodes. And if you're still not convinced, I promise to commit harakiri, right then and there!

I'm going to commit sacrilege from the POV of all you Tin Tin purists and admit, I've never even read the damn comics (and this, from an avid comic reader!). My only access to the Tin Tin universe always remained the cartoons - one of the best ever in my opinion (which I know doesn't count anymore on this thread...).

[shariqq]

Together, Fizz, we complete the Tintin popology.