Spielberg & Jackson?!

Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson have signed on to direct two installments of a planned TINTIN trilogy for DreamWorks based on the Belgian comic strip. Wow. Two of the biggest directing powerhouses agreeing ahead of time to work together on a trilogy. It can often take years for just one of these guys to get a project off the ground, so it’s pretty amazing that DreamWorks is planning to start filming this year. TINTIN will be produced using performance capture technology (MONSTER HOUSE) and Jackson’s WETA Digital has already produced a 20-minute promo reel. Says Jackson of adapting the comic characters for the screen: “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!” One thing Spielberg and Jackson haven’t worked out is a script. Though they’ve picked the stories they’d like to adapt, no screenwriter has been brought aboard to start writing a script. TINTIN tells the story of a young reporter investigating stories (and getting in and out of adventures) with his dog Snowy. Spielberg and Jackson will be busy shooting INDIANA JONES 4 and THE LOVELY BONES respectively later this year but would make TINTIN each their next projects.