I must admit that I don't know much about this Tintin character, but I do know that his stories are pretty darn adored all over the planet. Plus now that I know how much Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson love the series, I'm definitely just a bit more interested. If you're like me and know Tintin only peripherally, get ready for a crash course: Variety just announced that Spielberg and Jackson will team up to produce a trilogy of Tintin flicks -- and yes, they'll be directing the films too!Based on the very popular series of (23) books by Georges "Herge" Remi, the trilogy will re-introduce Tintin (and his pup Snowy) to popular (American) culture -- and probably help to sell a lot more books in the process. Apparently the character is an adventurous reporter who flits around the globe skirting danger and relying on a gang of colorful sidekicks. The movies will be created through the magic of digital animation, 3-D and state-of-the-art motion capture technology, but don't worry about the flicks losing that "personal touch."
Needless to say (because if you can't trust Spielberg and Jackson, who can you trust?), both filmmakers are adamant about being faithful to the source material. Says Mr. Spielberg: "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." Regarding the way in which the beloved characters would hit the silver screen, Mr. Jackson had this to say: "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."
Variety speculates that this project could get rolling as early as next year, right after Spielberg finishes Indy 4 and Jackson finishes burying his Lovely Bones. Looks like each director will be helming their own movie in the Tintin trilogy, which is very exciting news, but it does lead to an interesting question: Who'll be directing the third chapter? Might I recommend Brett Ratner?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-15-2007 @ 9:37AM
Gus said...
"Might I recommend Brett Ratner?"
No.
Reply
5-15-2007 @ 10:22AM
lamadude said...
A trilogy about a fictional Belgian reporter,
and next year, a movie about the sleepy Belgian town of Bruges ("in Bruges")
What's next?
A stunned belgian reader
Reply
5-15-2007 @ 11:01AM
ilovemovies said...
For those from the other side of the world (I am from Asia), Tintin holds a special place in the heart. My childhood was filled with Tintin and Asterix and I continue to read them in libraries in the US. Its phenomenal news that two excellent directors will be handling the chores on Tintin. Cant wait.
I'd start with Destination Moon :)
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5-15-2007 @ 4:22PM
Ian said...
Oh sweet Tuesday! Best news I've heard come out of Hollywood in ages.
I am so incredibly stoked to hear this. Who wants to come with me to start sitting in line?
On the production side, what if they modified the type of animation used in "Through a Scanner Darkly", giving it more of a rounded Herge look? That would give them the combination of live action and animation that I think this kind of project would need.
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