Tintin Movie

VFX World have a long article on The Virtual Rebirth of Cinema examining the background an technology of films such a Beowulf and the Tintin Movies.

The dawn of a new “virtual filmmaking” age is upon us. Sparked by the pioneering work of Bob Zemeckis on The Polar Express and Beowulf and amped to the extreme to create a realtime director-centric workflow by James Cameron, Rob Legato and team for the upcoming Avatar, this new evolution of the filmmaking process is energizing the Hollywood industry. Having worked on a couple of these bleeding-edge film projects (Avatar, Tintin) with many of the industry’s’ leading filmmakers, artists and technicians has allowed me to witness and contribute to the development of this new virtual filmmaking system that will likely lead the moviemaking process over the coming decades. The virtual filmmaking process is an amalgamation of traditional filmmaking, CGI, visual effects pipelines, previs workflows and realtime computer gaming technology. Virtual filmmaking combines the best parts of all of these previous traditions in a unique way to create something immensely useful and creatively liberating for the director and other artistic team members. Although I can’t elaborate on the specifics of any one system, I’d like to briefly touch on the technological progression toward the virtual filmmaking revolution in general and point out some of the innovations of this new system.

Taking a break from directing the first Tintin movie, Steven Spielberg has purchased another comic for adaption. This time its Ghosts in the Shell, the Japanese manga book and TV series. Its classic manga with robots, a futuristic city scape and great characters. I’m not sure if a non-Japanese director will be able to adapted it without turning into some cookie-cutter action film.

Chances are the film will be made using the same technology as the Tintin Movie and Market Saw is reporting that it will be made in 3D.

Source: There’s A New Epic In Town: Spielberg Buys Rights To Manga “Ghost In The Shell” - Will Be Live Action 3D!!

According to French film magazine Les Cahiers du Cinema, the character of Doctor Krollspell, the ex-Nazi scientist who works for Tintin’s enemy Rastapopoulos is to be played by Eric Stoltz. I’m not sure what to make of this. Krollspell only appeared in Flight 714 and isn’t included in the casting list. That list suggested that the three films being made were The Crab With The Golden Claws, The Secret of the Unicorn and Red Rackham’s Treasure. Rastapopoulas doesn’t appear in any of them.

Either the directors have radically changed their minds about which films to make or are completely changing the plots of the books or the French magazine is completely wrong.

Source: Dr. Krollspell Meet Rocky…no, not that Rocky…

The Daily Mail (not the most reliable paper in the world) is reporting that 17 year old Thomas Sangster has been cast as Tintin. Sangster is no stranger to the movies, he played the son in Love Actually, he also appeared in Nanny McPhee and is about to start work on James Cameron’s Bright Star.

I’ve not seen Thomas Sangster in any films but this photo shows he has the right look to him. He seems a better prospect than Kirsten Myburgh. However I’m not going to make predictions. This story appeared in the Daily Mail’s Showbiz section so hasn’t been subjected to the already low editorial standards of the news desk. It could easily be Sangster’s agent getting some free publicity by floating a rumour to a gullible journalist. Or it could be an example of a great scoop.

Source: Well, actually … Tom’s on the case as Tintin via Marketsaw

According to Andy Serkis, interviewed in Indie London, Steven Spielberg will begin shooting the first Tintin Movie (almost certainly The Secret of the Unicorn) in September. With Peter Jackson directing the second ( Red Rackhams Treasure ). Serkis also confirmed that he is to play Captain Haddock.

Q. Are you going to be reuniting with Peter Jackson again for Tintin?
Andy Serkis: In fact tomorrow I’m flying out to start on Tintin. Steven Spielberg is directing the first one, and then Peter Jackson is doing the second. The bulk of the shoot starts in September but things got a little bit moved around after the writers’ strike.

Q. Were you at all worried when Peter first got back in touch that having played Gollum and King Kong, he might ask you to play Snowy the dog?
Andy Serkis: [laughs] Absolutely, in fact people assume that I am, which is even more disturbing [he’s playing Captain Haddock].

The Cottage - Andy Serkis interview

Tintin movie director Steven Spielberg has a busy schedule with the latest Indiana Jones film coming out soon, a biopic of Lincoln on the cards and of course, one of the three Tintin films. He is also working on The Trial of the Chicago 7, due to star Sacha Baron Cohen. Problems with scheduling actors and a potential actor’s strike are causing problems for the production. What this means for the Tintin movie is unknown.

Source - Steven Spielberg Delays The Trial of the Chicago 7?

LeTinTinMovie.com is reporting that Kirsten Myburgh has been cast as Tintin but Market Saw 3D is reporting inside information saying Myburgh has not been confirmed. He is just another casting call.

Never heard of Kirsten Myburgh? Its not surprising as, to be brutally honest, he is currently a nobody. His only role on IMDB is in a film called Garden Party where he plays ‘Friend with money’. If he does get the lead part in the Tintin Movie then he will go from nobody to somebody very quickly.

Digging around on Kirsten Myburgh official site I found a photo that might be connected to his potential role as Tintin. The plus-fours and jumper are very Tintin but the hat isn’t. Maybe he couldn’t get his hair into a quiff?

Its being heavily rumored but not yet confirmed that Andy Serkis will play Captain Haddock. Serkis made is name playing Gollum in Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings. As Peter Jackson is directing one of the Tintin movies and his production company is doing all the CGI, I’m not surprised that the excellent Andy Serkis is on-board.

Casting for the Tintin Movie has begun and we can be sure that The Secret of the Unicorn / Red Rackham’s Treasure will be the basis for one of the films at least. They are casting the Bird Brothers, Nestor, Sakharine (one of the people after the model ship), Aristides Silk (the pick pocket) and Red Rackham himself who are all in The Secret of the Unicorn. Mrs Finch (Tintin’s Landlady) and two kidnappers (presumably Allen & Ernie from the cast list) have a seen on page 35 of Secret of the Unicorn. Presumably Mr Crabtree is the market stall owner Tintin buy’s the ship from.

In the Crab With The Golden Claws, Mrs Finch makes an appearance plus there are Lt. Delacourt and Ahmed from the fort in Afghar (page 33). Omar Ben Salaad is the leader of the smugglers. The unnamed seaplane pilot & co-pilot are probably the ones who attack Tintin & Capt Haddock.

Some roles are new and not in the books. Barnaby (an American Interpol Inspector), Merrydew (a rival reporter) and Wetherbuck (Tintin’s Editor). Merrydew and Wetherbuck will possibly appear in multiple films so presumably they have been added to make Tintin’s world a bit more believable. Barnaby may be replacement for Bunji Kuraki, the Japanese police inspector who is kidnapped by the smugglers.

In The Crab With The Golden Claw, Tintin meets Captain Haddock for the first time and in The Secret of the Unicorn, the pair first meet Professor Calculus. By the end of Red Rackham’s Treasure, Captain Haddock owns Marlinspike Hall so this makes a nice development of characters across the films and nicely sets things up for any future films. It is still not clear if this is the cast and plot-lines for just the Jackson and Spielberg films or whether these will cover all three films.

Still, it looks like I was wrong about my predictions of which books would be made in to the films.

Its been reported that casting has begun in LA for the Tintin Movie. It is believed that the following parts are up for grabs.

• Aristides Silk, a seemingly friendly British or international pickpocket with a memorable face who is balding and has a mustache
• Allen & Ernie, two seamen smugglers disguised as workmen;
• Barnaby, a fat and sweaty American Interpol inspector who’s better at his job than he looks;
• Lt. Delacourt, the amiable, pipe-smoking British commander of the Afghar outpost who helps Tintin and Captain Haddock;
• Max & Gerontium Bird, these brothers’ businessman-like appearance bely the fact that they’re gun smugglers on the Karaboudjan;
• Merrydew, an the anxious, nerdy and envious reporter rival of Tintin’s;
• Mr. Crabtree, a stall keeper/vendor at the Old Street Market;
• Mrs. Finch, Tintin’s landlady with a fierce, beaky face and personality to match;
• Nestor, a kindly, efficient butler who works for the Bird brothers and finds himself in troubled circumstances;
• Omar Ben Salaad, a larger-than-life arms dealer with 14 wives and a commanding voice;
• The pilot and co-pilot of Omar Ben Salaad’s seaplane;
• Red Rackham, described as tall and thin, larger than life with a sinister edge;
• Sakharine, a tall, thin and mysterious stranger with a foreign accent that can’t be placed;
• Ahmed, an obedient soldier under Lt. Delacourt’s command;
• Wetherbuck, Tintin’s big, bellowing, cigar-chomping editor and mentor;
• Thomson & Thompson, two ineffective, narrow-minded policemen described as more stupid than mean, moronic yet pretentious, comical and clumsy. They are identical and can only be distinguished by their mustaches.

It possible that Wetherbuck, Merrydew, Nestor, Mrs. Finch and Thomson & Thompson will appear in multiple films, while one actor could play both Thomson & Thompson.

Motion capture will take place for 30 days in the US and 30 days in New Zealand allowing both Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson to shoot their footage. Afterwards, Jackson’s Weta Workshop will process the motion capture and produce the final film.