Tintin-1
OKAY, now with WATCHMEN promos finally done, let’s move to the NEXT beloved classic comic movie, shall we? And what better candidate than…TINTIN! Tatiana Siegel at Variety has the first detailed article on movie production. With Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson co-directing, it certainly has a pedigree. According to the article, Spielberg has finished up about a month (!) of performance-capture filming…now Jackson will spend 18 months doing the special effects and CGI. Secrecy surrounds the project, but it sounds…captivating:

Spielberg’s longtime spokesman Marvin Levy, who welcomed a story on “The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn,” said, “You have to see it to understand (the technology). It really can’t be described.”

But he quickly nixed the idea of a visit to the set. “That wouldn’t be feasible,” he says.

The film’s other producer, Kathleen Kennedy, is happy to talk about “Tintin,” but admitted the world Spielberg and Jackson are creating is hard to describe.

“It’s extremely difficult to explain to someone unless they are standing here next to me,” Kennedy says from the Los Angeles set. “And usually then their reaction is, ‘Oh my god.’ “


Much more info in the piece.

1 COMMENT

  2. “…let’s move to the NEXT beloved classic comic movie, shall we? And what better candidate than…TINTIN! “

    I realize Tintin is HUGE in Europe (and with Europhiliacs), but how in the world did Spielberg and Jackson think it even has a prayer here in the United States? Yeah, yeah, I know….”the world doesn’t revolve around the United States, you know!”, yada, yada….but really, how does a movie based on a virtually unknown character (beloved as he may be elsewhere) make its initial investment back unless the U.S. is at least *somewhat* intrigued? As it stands now, it may have all impact of one of those generic, non-Pixar CGI films that make the rounds every couple of months.

  3. Mark, recall there was a time when movies presented NEW and ORIGINAL characters? And sometimes audiences even liked them! For instance, just recently, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN became one of the biggest franchises ever but introduced hitherto COMPELTELY UNKNOWN characters. It was based on a popular ride, to be sure, but that’s probably only a bit more popualr in the US than Tintin.

    I think if two beloved filmmakers like SS and PJ can make an entertaining movie, people might like it.

    CF also every recent Pixar picture. Or Kung Fu Panda (mentioned in the story). Once in a while new catches on.

  4. Mark – I watched original TinTin hour long animated films back when I was a kid every SATURDAY mornings at 6:00AM on WABC.

    I never even read the original comics with the exception of the reprint excerpts in Children’s Highlights magazine in the doctor’s office – but I still regard watching those films as some of the most cherished memories of my childhood.

    If those are out on DVD – I’d rush out and buy them today.

    ~

    Coat

  5. Poor Tintin. He had a good long life. I will miss him. I will miss the charm, imagination and cherished memories that will disappear forever once Spielberg kills him with his dumbed-down, adapted, modernized Americanization.

  6. Tintin has been around a long time and been through much worse than someone making a movie about him,…I’m sure he’ll be fine.