A couple of weeks back, we brought you the report that acclaimed director Steven Spielberg had finished a month of "performance-capture shooting" for "The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn," and was shipping his work off to his partner (but not "co-director") on the project, Peter Jackson (he of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy fame). Yet while a Spielberg/Jackson team-up could basically be considered "geek crack," the question remains: how do two insanely-acclaimed directors work together on such a project, not to mention the fact that their home-bases are literally half a world away?
Those questions were answered today in a rather informative piece in the Los Angeles Times, which looked at the process of filming the first in a planned series of three films based on the classic European comics character, and also updated fans anxiously anticipating Tintin et Milou's big-screen debut on the status of the film.
According to the source, Jackson was indeed heavily involved with "Tintin" during rehearsals and the first week of shooting, flying in from his home in New Zealand to L.A., but then, as the Times puts it, "appeared via an elaborate video-conferencing setup for the rest of the shoot, using a specially designed iChat-type system in which the Kiwi filmmaker [could] see everything on the set in real time and simultaneously talk with Spielberg."
And while all camps are keeping tight-lipped on any juicy details, as far as where the film currently stands, Spielberg's work on "Tintin" is residing at Jackson's WETA effects house in New Zealand, where the director and his team will recreate the world of Tintin established in creator Hergé's series of comics, and add those unique touches used in films like "King Kong" and the aforementioned "Rings" trilogy.
Meanwhile, the L.A. Times piece notes that "The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn" has unexpectedly had its share of difficulties finding financing, noting, "not only because of its questionable appeal domestically but also because of the $135-million price tag and a deal that allots both filmmakers a humongous portion of the back-end profits. What's more, other motion capture pictures, including 'Monster House,' 'Beowulf' and 'The Polar Express,' have not been blockbusters."
However, given the film's stellar casting, additions of award-winning crew, and, well, the fact that it's Spielberg teaming up with Jackson, we're guessing that the film will easily hit it's schedule 2011 release date.
Are you looking forward to "The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn?" Do you think a Spielberg/Jackson team-up will live up to the hype? Let's hear your opinions in the comments.
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