Tintin (film)
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This article or section contains information about one or more upcoming films. The content will change as more information becomes available closer to the release date(s). |
| Tintin | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Steven Spielberg |
| Produced by | Steven Spielberg Kathleen Kennedy Peter Jackson |
| Written by | Steven Moffat (screenplay) Hergé (comics) |
| Starring | Andy Serkis |
| Distributed by | Paramount (English-language countries) Sony (Foreign-language countries)[1] |
| Release date(s) | 2010[2] |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $135 million[3] |
Tintin is a planned motion capture 3-D film based The Adventures of Tintin, a series of comic books created by Belgian artist Georges "Hergé" Remi. It will be directed by Steven Spielberg, and the script by Steven Moffat is based on two directly-linked stories published in the 1940s, The Secret of the Unicorn and Red Rackham's Treasure, the latter of which introduced Professor Calculus.[4] Andy Serkis is playing Captain Haddock.
Spielberg first acquired rights to Tintin after Hergé's death in 1983, and re-optioned them in 2002. Filming was due to begin in October 2008, but was delayed after Universal opted out of producing the film with Paramount, who provided $30 million on pre-production. The delay resulted in Thomas Sangster, who had been cast as Tintin, departing from the project. Producer Peter Jackson, whose company Weta Digital is providing the animation, intends to direct a sequel. Spielberg and Jackson also hope to co-direct a third film.[5]
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Cast
- Andy Serkis as Captain Haddock. Serkis had played Gollum in Jackson's The Lord of the Rings and King Kong in his 2005 remake, which were both roles requiring motion capture. Serkis joked he was concerned that Jackson wanted him to play Tintin's dog Snowy,[6] who will be entirely animated.[5] Serkis remarked upon reading the comics again for the role that they had a surreal Pythonesque quality.[7]
Thomas Sangster was cast as Tintin, but was forced to drop out when filming was delayed in October 2008.[3] Simon Pegg and Nick Frost were offered to play Thomson and Thompson, bumbling detectives who are almost completely alike. Pegg visited the set after completing How to Lose Friends & Alienate People, where Spielberg suggested that he and Frost play the duo.[8] Brian Howe, who had a role in Catch Me If You Can, auditioned having been a childhood fan of the comic.[9]
Development
Spielberg has been an avid fan of The Adventures of Tintin comic books, which he discovered in 1981 when a review compared Raiders of the Lost Ark to Tintin. His secretary bought him French-language editions of each book, but Spielberg did not have to understand them: he immediately fell in love with its art.[5] Meanwhile, the comics' creator Hergé, who hated the previous live action film versions and the cartoon, became a fan of Spielberg. Michael Farr, author of Tintin: The Complete Companion, recalled Hergé "thought Spielberg was the only person who could ever do Tintin justice".[10] Spielberg and his production partner Kathleen Kennedy of Amblin Entertainment were scheduled to meet with Hergé in 1983 while filming Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom in London. Hergé died that week, but his widow decided to give them the rights.[5] A three-year long option to film the comics was finalized in 1984,[10] with Universal as distributor.[11]
Spielberg commissioned E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) writer Melissa Mathison to script a film where Tintin battles ivory hunters in Africa. Unsatisfied, Spielberg continued with production on Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989). The rights returned to the Hergé Foundation. Claude Berri and Roman Polanski became interested in filming the property, while Warner Bros. negotiated long and hard for the rights, but they could not guarantee the "creative integrity" that the Foundation found in Spielberg.[10] In 2001, Spielberg revealed his interest in depicting Tintin with computer animation.[12] In November 2002, his studio DreamWorks reestablished the option to film the series.[13] Spielberg said he would just produce the film.[14] In 2004, the French magazine Capital reported Spielberg was intending a trilogy based on Secret of the Unicorn / Red Rackham's Treasure, The Seven Crystal Balls / Prisoners of the Sun and The Blue Lotus / Tintin in Tibet (the last two are not a single story, but both feature the Chang Chong-Chen character).[15]
| 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! –Peter Jackson explains the film's look[16] |
Meanwhile, Peter Jackson, who had long been fascinated with 3-D filmmaking, was impressed by recent advances in the format.[17] Spielberg and Jackson agreed that a live action adaptation would not do justice to the comic books and motion capture was the best way of representing Hergé's world of Tintin. A week of filming took place in November 2007 in Playa Vista, Los Angeles, California, on the stage where James Cameron shot Avatar.[17] Serkis had been cast, while Jackson stood in for Tintin.[7] Cameron was present during the shoot.[7] The footage was transmitted to Weta Digital,[17] who produced a twenty-minute test reel that demonstrated a photorealistic depiction of the characters.[16]
An official announcement about the collaboration was made in May 2007, although both filmmakers had to wait to film it: Spielberg was preparing Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (which was due for May 2008) and Jackson was planning The Lovely Bones (October 2009).[16] In October 2007, Steven Moffat was announced as having signed on to write the screenplays for two of the Tintin films.[18] Moffat said he was "love bombed" by Spielberg into accepting the offer to write the films, with the director promising to shield him from studio interference with his writing.[19] Moffat finished the first script,[20] but could not complete the second because of the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike. He then became executive producer of Doctor Who, leading Spielberg and Jackson (the latter of whom is a fan of the show) to allow him to leave and fulfil his duty to the series.[21]
More filming took place in March 2008.[7] It will take thirty days to shoot each film; Spielberg will film his in Los Angeles while Jackson will film his in New Zealand. An internet connection between Weta in New Zealand will allow Spielberg to view the animated version of his film while shooting in Los Angeles.[22] But in August 2008, a month before principal photography would have begun, Universal turned down their option to co-produce the film, citing the low box office of Monster House and Beowulf as well as the directors' usual request for 30% of the gross. Paramount Pictures (DreamWorks' distributor) had hoped to partner with Universal on the project having spent $30 million on pre-production. Spielberg was embarrassed that Paramount would have to fully finance the film, because he was leaving the studio. He gave a ten-minute presentation of footage, hoping they would approve for filming to begin in October. Paramount offered to produce if the directors opted out of their gross percentage deals: Spielberg and Jackson declined and looked for new options.[3][11] By October 31, Sony was in negotiations to co-finance and distribute the first film.[1][2][23]
References
- ^ a b Michael Cieply (2008-11-01). "Rivals in Talks to Finance ‘Tintin’ Films", The New York Times. Retrieved on 1 November 2008.
- ^ a b Anne Thompson (2008-10-31). "Sony/Paramount financing 'Tintin'", Variety. Retrieved on 1 November 2008.
- ^ a b c Anne Thompson (2008-10-09). "Films up in the air after studios split", Variety. Retrieved on 15 October 2008.
- ^ Leo Cendrowicz and Jay A. Fernandez (2008-08-26). "Steven Spielberg still on board for 'Tintin'", The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved on 27 August 2008.
- ^ a b c d Ruben V. Nepales (2008-05-18). "Spielberg may co-direct next with Peter Jackson", Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved on 18 May 2008.
- ^ "The Cottage - Andy Serkis interview", indieLondon (2007). Retrieved on 4 September 2008.
- ^ a b c d "Tintin a Go-go", Empire (2008-09-03), pp. 22.
- ^ Stephen Armstrong (2008-09-21). "Simon Pegg: He’s Mr Popular", The Sunday Times. Retrieved on 21 September 2008.
- ^ "Journeyman's Brian Howe in Tintin?", Mania (2007-12-14). Retrieved on 22 October 2008.
- ^ a b c Jeff Dawson (2007-05-27). "Tintin and the Movie Moguls?", The Sunday Times. Retrieved on 3 September 2008.
- ^ a b Claudia Eller (2008-09-19). "Studio says no to Steven Spielberg, Peter Jackson", Los Angeles Times. Retrieved on 19 September 2008.
- ^ Paul Davidson (2001-08-29). "Enfin, a Tintin Movie", IGN. Retrieved on 3 September 2008.
- ^ "Tintin 'to become movie hero'", BBC News Online (2002-11-22). Retrieved on 10 October 2007.
- ^ Steve Head (2002-12-17). "An Interview with Steven Spielberg", IGN. Retrieved on 30 June 2008.
- ^ Paul Davidson (2004-01-14). "Spielberg Planning Tintin Trilogy?", IGN. Retrieved on 3 September 2008.
- ^ a b c Pamela McClintock, Anne Thompson (2007-05-14). "Spielberg, Jackson team for Tintin", Variety. Retrieved on 24 May 2007.
- ^ a b c Sharon Waxman (2007-05-22). "Top Directors See the Future, and They Say It’s in 3-D", The New York Times. Retrieved on 4 September 2008.
- ^ Carly Mayberry (2007-10-02). "Scribe Moffat on 'Tintin' case", The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved on 2 October 2007.
- ^ John Harlow (2008-06-08). "Police deployed against paparazzi", The Times. Retrieved on 12 June 2008.
- ^ Caroline Graham (2008-07-19). "£500,000 Mr Spielberg? Sorry, I've got a date with the Beeb, says the new Dr Who writer", Daily Mail. Retrieved on 15 October 2008.
- ^ "Dr Who writer denies Tintin row", BBC News Online (2008-07-21). Retrieved on 3 September 2008.
- ^ Todd Gilchrist (2007-10-09). "Jackson + Spielberg = Tintin", IGN. Retrieved on 3 September 2008.
- ^ Claudia Eller (2008-10-31). "Paramount and Sony might co-parent "Tintin"", Los Angeles Times. Retrieved on 1 November 2008.
External links
- Tintin at the Internet Movie Database
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