There’s been more speculation than news about the trilogy of Tintin films planned by Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson. Devin and Jeremy have been right on top of what we do know, as evidenced here, here and here.
Pocap Recap:
Each director is reportedly still planning to do one performance captured 3D film apiece with the third helmer TBD, assuming it won’t be one of the two or a relatively unprecedented co-directing gig between them. We don’t know what stories they’re doing or in what order. A September ’08 start date with scripts by Steven Moffat and Spielberg tackling the first chapter is all we’ve got.
Secrecy notwithstanding, is it really a surprise that the first casting info involves Andy Serkis? There’d be something apocalyptic in the offing if a pocapped Jackson production didn’t involve the supremely talented actor.
Variety says only that Dreamworks stated Serkis won’t be playing globe-trotting reporter Tintin, while The Hollywood Reporter speculates that he’ll appear as Captain Archibald Haddock, which wouldn’t be a massive stretch from his role in King Kong. One of them.
This actually might give slight clue as to the direction of the series. Haddock first appeared in The Crab With The Golden Claws (the ninth book) and slowly became a heroic mainstay and a highlight of Tintin In Tibet. That’s one of the series’ more unique books and not one that lends itself to mainstream film, even if it does have the yeti.
Haddock’s debut sounds right up Spielberg’s alley, though I could see him wanting to go in a different direction so soon after Indiana Jones:
A series of mysterious clues put Tintin and Snowy on the trail of a dangerous gang of opium-smugglers. Tintin is kidnapped, but in a daring escape at sea he meets Captain Haddock, and together they track down the gang in a chase which takes them from the scorching Sahara Desert to the alleys of a Moroccan port.
Haddock is also the series’ famous fake-swearer, as indicated by this list of curses that should enter my lexicon immediately. That would be a gold mine for Serkis.
I’m not supremely well-versed in Tintin, with most of my knowledge courtesy of a close friend and former roommate. If knowledgeable readers have any good lines on other classic Haddock stories that are ripe for film adaptation, drop me a line and clue me in.