Steven Spielbergremains one of the most prolific working filmmakers, but he’s one of the most indecisive. Spielberg has attached himself to countless projects throughout his career that he never ended up pursuing. RememberRobopocalypse?Blackhawk?The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara? TheGeorge Gershwinbiopic that would’ve starredZachary Quinto? Wise fans have learned to get excited about a new Spielberg film, but only once it’s already begun shooting.
Spielberg had promised the next big franchise with his adaptation ofThe Adventures of Tintin. Based on the beloved comic strip character created by the Belgian cartoonistHergé, the motion-capture animated film was released nearly ten years ago. Spielberg collaborated to create the film’s groundbreaking animation with producerPeter Jackson. Both Spielberg and Jackson reiterated their interests in subsequent press, but a decade later we’re no closer to aTintinfranchise.
The first film’s development was already a process that spanned three decades. Spielberg had been unaware of the character’s existence until he made the press rounds forRaiders of the Lost Ark, andEuropean critics informed him of the similarities. An action-packed series of adventures with exotic locations, eccentric villains, and a quirky sense of humor,Tintinfelt like a younger cousin toIndiana Jones. Spielberg quickly became a fan, and became interested in developing a film version.
Hergé himself had always been skeptical of aTintinfilm. He’d hated the previous live-action interpretations and cartoon series, but a meeting with Spielberg intrigued him.After hearing that the famed director had profused his fandom, Herge gave Spielberg his blessing. Reportedly stating that“Spielberg was the only person who could ever do Tintin justice,“he was energized to meet in person. Herge tragically passed away the same week he was scheduled to meet Spielberg; the rights were granted to Spielberg by Herge’s widow Fanny Remi.
RELATED:Every Steven Spielberg Movie Ranked from Worst to Best
Universal Pictures was all on board to put together a new Spielberg adventure movie in the wake ofIndiana Jones, andE.T. The Extra TerrestrialscreenwriterMelissa Mathisonbegandeveloping a planned versionthat would’ve castJack Nicholsonas Tintin’s sidekick Captain Haddock. Spielberg tinkered with the script throughout the completion of theIndiana Jonestrilogy,and reasserted his commitmentafterRoman Polanskiattempted to nab the rights. He faced the same dilemma throughout the project’s evolution. Would it be live-action or animated?
Decades passed, and by the early 21st Century Spielberg had essentially abandoned any inclination towards zippy adventures, helming darker material likeA.I. Artificial Intelligence,Minority Report,Catch Me If You Can,Munich, andWar of the Worlds. It wasn’t until he got a call from Jackson, a lifelongTintinfanatic, that Spielberg considered beginning work on the film once more. Jackson had innovated with motion-capture technology with Gollum andKing Kong, and was convinced that it was the best way to approach Herge’s material. Jackson was so enthused about the prospect thathe sent Spielberg an early test reelwhere he stepped into the role of Haddock himself.
Spielberg’s longtime friendRobert Zemeckishad been experimenting with motion capture animation, and heliked the idea of having physical sets and actors to interact with.Both Spielberg and Jackson were fascinated by the potential of 3-D.Jamie BellandAndy Serkislanded the two lead roles with a script fromAttack the Block’sJoe Cornish. It came at a critical point in both Spielberg and Jacksons’ careers. Jackson was coming off of the failure ofThe Lovely Bones, and Spielberghimself had expressed dissatisfactionwith the route thatIndiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulltook. Neither filmmaker needed “redemption,” but another tentpole adventure franchise would give them both a chance to rebound.
In one of the most baffling release strategies in recent memory,The Adventures of Tintinopened within days of another Spielberg film,War Horse. The film’s seemingly targeted similar family audiences during a packed Christmas Day release slate.Tintinended up with a respectable $375million worldwide, but it came with a $135 million budget, massive marketing campaign, and years of development into the groundbreaking animation.Tintinwas also shockingly shut out of the Best Animated Feature category at the 2012 Academy Awards, the same yearWar Horsebecame a top Best Picture contender andJohn Williamsearned nominations for both scores.
Tintinwasn’t necessarily a disappointment, and it had been announced from the beginningthat Jackson would direct the sequelThe Adventures of Tintin: Prisoners of the Sunas soon as he completedThe Hobbittrilogy. A third film was also planned. Announcements were rolling in, andAlex RidercreatorAnthony Horowitzenthusiastically revealed that the next film would feature one ofTintin’s most iconic antagonists,Professor Calculus.
Yet, the targeted date continued to slip by. Jackson was beleaguered by his arduousHobbitexperience, and Spielberg continued to find new projects. With no official date ever set,Horowitz’s script was later scrappedand Jackson began exploring his documentary interests. The most recent update came in 2018, whenSpielberg remained adamantthat the sequel would happen with Jackson at the helm. “Peter will stick with it,” he promised. “Tintin is not dead!”
Three years later and the sequel still hangs in limbo, but there may be an upcoming window of opportunity. Spielberg is working on his semi-autobiographical coming-of-age filmThe Falbesmans, but he continues to produce new installments in theIndiana Jones,Transformers, andJurassic Worldfranchises. Jackson hasn’t set a new project after this fall’sThe Beatles: Get Back. Theoretically,Tintincould be the next endeavor for both. The question remains the same–are they actually interested in making it a reality?
Hopefully, they will.The Adventures of Tintinis a blast, and the old-fashioned thrill ride is astounding with its amazing setpieces and technical innovation. Bell and Serkis have terrific chemistry, and the film doesn’t attempt to complicate two characters that have more charisma than actual depth. Herge’s expansive mythology is packed with fun adventures ripe for the big screen, and they deserve to see the light of day under this pair.
