Spielberg to Produce Live-Action Tintin Movie(s) 336
jtauber writes "Looks like the Adventures of Tintin may be the next series of books to be turned into a film franchise with Spielberg in talks to acquire the rights. See the Marlinspike for more information." Tintin was one of my favorite "book" type comics growing up - and they've released collections.
Spielberg? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Spielberg? (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Spielberg? (Score:4, Funny)
Spielberg could not do such text adventure justice.
I can only imagine such a script:
# T I N T I N + + v1.5pl9 FINAL
# (T)he k(I)cki(N) (T)ickin d(I)kumud clie(N)t
# a DIKU-mud client
#
> #se 1 generic.dikumud.com 9999
FADE IN: Gorath
password: *********
> You are in a dark alley. Two muggers are here, their knives flashing at you. An exit lies north.
#alias {runaway} {n;n;n;n;n;n;n;n;};runaway
You run like a little girl for the exit. They block you.
#read ItsWeaponTime;weaponsup
#OK. 43 ALIASES LOADED.
#OK. 2 ACTIONS LOADED.
#OK. 0 ANTISUBS LOADED.
#OK. 10 SUBSTITUTES LOADED.
#OK. 13 VARIABLES LOADED.
#OK. 45 HIGHLIGHTS LOADED.
You load the uzi.
You load the minigun.
You wield the Hammer of Thor.
You load the rocket launcher.
You wield the rocket launcher. Mugger #1 begins to piss his pants.
shoot;shoot
You aim for Mugger #1.
You fire. Direct hit. Body parts ooze off the wall.
You aim for Mugger #2.
You fire. Direct hit. A blackened spot is all that remains of Mugger #2. You are victorious. But Steven Spielberg shows up with a flak cannon. He aims for your heart.
look
You cannot look when you're dead.
#end
TINTIN suffers from bloodlack, and the lack of a beating heart...
TINTIN is dead! R.I.P.
Your blood freezes as you hear TINTIN's death cry.
% sniff
Re:Spielberg? (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Spielberg? (Score:2, Informative)
AI?! How about 1941 [imdb.com]? Let's hope his adaptation of Tintin is less whimsical.
Re:Spielberg? (Score:2)
Maybe, but.... (Score:2)
Still waiting... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Still waiting... (Score:2, Funny)
Under a killing moon?
Choose yer own adventure (Score:2)
burning off the karma...
CYOA movies (Score:2)
I'm still waiting for the "Choose Your Own Adventure" series to be put to film...
Translating a Choose Your Own Adventure book into the format closest to a movie produces laserdisc/DVD games similar to "Dragon's Lair" [dragons-lair-project.com].
Re:Good idea (Score:2)
Oh, please... No! (Score:3, Insightful)
Adaptations of Asterix have been bad enough, especially those dreadful live-action ones with Depardieu...
I grew up on French comics, which I guess is some excuse, but... You just -can't- live action adapt Tintin. It'll be awful! Or at least, if they have to, in the name of all that is Holy -please- adapt them as cartoons...
Re:Oh, please... No! (Score:2, Funny)
Funny, sexy, with a lot of flash for adult and children.
Re:Oh, please... No! (Score:5, Insightful)
I actually thought the animated series was quite good -- does anyone know if they will EVER be released on DVD???
Re:Oh, please... No! (Score:2, Informative)
Plus, they come with English and Spanish audio tracks and subtitles! The only "problem" is their region (if you don't live in Europe, Japan, South Africa, or the Middle East).
Hey, look at the bright side... (Score:2)
Re:Oh, please... No! (Score:3, Informative)
time ago; there were a couple of movies if I
remember correctly -- twas in the early 70s -- not
adaptations of existing books, but new stories
written for that purpose by Herge ("Tintin et la
toison d'or" is one of the title I remember,
it was taking place in Greece); it was not too
bad precisely because it was a purpose made story
and not an attempt at adapting existing books;
and there was at least one long cartoon which
title I don't remember -- a story about Tournesol
inventing a Startrek like replicator, with
underwater scene at the bottom of an artificial
lake, anyone remembers? (twas not these short
low quality cartoons one see occasionaly on
French tv these days);
--Giraldus
Re:Oh, please... No! (Score:2)
This movie made it back into a book. Not a comic book strictly speaking (although the size and format of the book is the same) since it looks like pictures from the movie with the bubbles on top.
Re:Oh, please... No! (Score:5, Informative)
Tintin is not a French comic, it's from Belgium. Herge (Tinin's belgian author) laid down the foundation of an entire school of belgian comic writers.
DZM
Not just belgian influence, but comics in general (Score:4, Insightful)
See Scott McCloud's history of comics for further praise.
What Spielberg will do to it, I have no idea. It is cited by him as an influence on Raiders.
French Comics (Score:2)
Er, Tintin *is* a French comic -- it's in French! Just because it's from Belgium doesn't change that. If the Americans can speak English, the francophone Belgians certainly speak French.
Re:French Comics (Score:2)
Re:French Comics (Score:3, Informative)
Actually, in English, all references to names of languages are capitalized. One speaks in English or French (and not in english or french)
Re:Oh, please... No! (Score:2)
Slashdot: News about Herge, stuff that matters
Billions of bilious blue blistering barnacles! (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Oh, please... No! (Score:3, Insightful)
I couldn't agree more. I read a lot of Tintin when I was young - in English translations - and I just loved them. I can't imagine any actor acting quite like I imagined the characters did, nor will their voices sound like I imagined them sounding. I don't want Mr. Spielberg messing around with Herge's creations, and I won't go to see the movies. There are some things you don't want to see "live-action".
--Jim (Thompson, not Thomson)
Re:Oh, please... No! (Score:4, Informative)
There was one already in 1961 [imdb.com], and another in '64 [imdb.com].
in the name of all that is Holy -please- adapt them as cartoons...
Hmmm...that would be 1969 [imdb.com] and 1972 [imdb.com]
Adaptations of Asterix have been bad enough, especially those dreadful live-action ones with Depardieu...
Shut up, the first one was rather lame, but the one with Cleopatra totally captured the comic's feel, and was so close to the animated version too (wich I'll just assume you haven't seen).
Re:Oh, please... No! (Score:2)
Re:Ever read Agatha Christie? (Score:2)
Re:Oh, please... No! (Score:2)
I wish they wouldn't... (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:I wish they wouldn't... (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:I wish they wouldn't... (Score:2, Informative)
Re:"Thompson"... yes, with a 'p' (Score:2)
I just can't wait to see who does Castafiore. Calculus isn't that hard, Haddock will be fun, but Mme. C. has to be delightful.
Re:"Thompson"... yes, with a 'p' (Score:2)
Re:"Thompson"... yes, with a 'p' (Score:2)
Animation would be neat if they could capture the whimsy and lightness of Hergé's art. That would be pretty slick. Of course the voices would have to be good, then =)
Let the casting begin... (Score:3, Funny)
Maybe...
Ben Afleck for Tintin?
Oh, and that boat guy has to be Sean Connery.
Re:Let the casting begin... (Score:2)
Cheers,
Jim
Re:Let the casting begin... (Score:2, Funny)
Martin Short (Score:2)
Re:Let the casting begin... (Score:2)
Hence, Seth Green, or Chris "The Sherminator" Owen.
Re:Let the casting begin... (Score:2)
Underpants Math. (Score:3, Funny)
2)Add Speilburg
3)Profit!
Billions of.. (Score:5, Funny)
About time
Re:Billions of.. (Score:3, Funny)
complete list... (Score:5, Interesting)
Here is a complete list of "insults [wanadoo.fr]" (in french). He has quite a collection of them, each more entertaining than the other, and none are even remotely like f*ck, *ss, etc. All banal words from the dictionary, used creatively
Ahhh... I love Tintin. Being Belgian I grew up on these "comics" (a term that really doesn't do justice to the art, at least not the Begian/French kind of "comics"). Aside from owning the whole collection, I have several older copies with my dad's dedication in them (got them for birthday gifts, etc) which makes them even more valuable to me.
I am also a fairly big fan of Spielberg - with E.T. being the first major movie I have ever seen, and I still remember going to see it (in Belgium) when I was 11 like it was yesterday! I just hope he doesn't screw this up!
Re:complete list... (Score:4, Informative)
Great stuff. (Anacoluthons! Hydrocarbon! Technocrat! Odd-toed ungulate!)
Another term... (Score:3, Informative)
A term has been coined which, IMHO, does accurately describe the art form which includes Tintin.
"Graphic Novel"
(It has the same relation to a written novel that a stage play or feature movie has to an oral storyteller's story or radio drama.)
Re:complete list... (Score:2)
Chateau de Moulinsart (Score:3, Informative)
Well, the good news is that they won't have trouble finding a set for Captain Haddock's Chateau de Moulinsarart-- it already exists [lycos.fr]. Of course, in real life it's known as the Chateau Cheverny [wikipedia.org] and has a couple of large additions on the sides.
But I'm sure a little digital editing magic and they'll have a great set.
Captain Haddock Should Be Played By... (Score:5, Interesting)
Okay, I'll bite... (Score:2)
TinTin is ... uummm not to interesting (Score:2)
I have seen a few TinTin movies later and I just can't deal with it. There is something un-funny about the whole thing.
Let's just hope that Spielberg can breath some new air into the old cartoon.
Re:TinTin is ... uummm not to interesting (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:TinTin is ... uummm not to interesting (Score:2)
So many years since I really read TinTin.
I apologize if I inadvertantly offended people from Belgia, it was not my intention.
This is wrong. (Score:3, Insightful)
Speilberg is going to produce some stupid action film that glosses over all the subelties and ruins Tintin for the next generation.
Man I sound old.
Re:This is wrong. (Score:4, Funny)
Actually, there are some tintin mags that are attractive for quite different reasons [tintin-in-thailand.com]. Oh, would I love to see Spielberg do that movie!
Re:This is wrong. (Score:2, Interesting)
So far this week, everyone's complained about the RIAA and the MPAA attempting to enforce their copyrights. The clear example of this is http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=02/11/24/2
Then a movie comes out, and everything changes. The MPAA is evil, until they release Lord of the Rings, and then movies are great. Then the MPAA is evil again, until Harry Potter comes out, and then movies are the best thing ever. Then the MPAA enforces its copyrights, and they're evil. Now another movie comes out, and everyone flip-flops again.
I suppose consistency is too much to ask for on a site dominated by group think.
Re:This is wrong. (Score:2)
So you're angry at Slashdot because people posting here all feel the same way about things, but you're also angry because people posting here all have completely different opinions on those same topics?
I guess internal consistency is too much to ask from your argument.
Clue: Slashdot is not a gestalt entity. We are all individuals.
Re:This is wrong. (Score:5, Interesting)
A lot of the stuff that kids liked about tintin was just the Hardy Boys + James Bond story line. Which really wasn't so special.
The innovative thing about tintin was the art. An uncommon thing about tintin was the feel. If Speilberg just copies the plot of one of the comics, it'll be worthless trash. That won't bother me too much, even though I read plenty of them when I was a kid.
However, if he uses some new digital process technique to reference the subtly different solid colors of the comic, and he lets it stay innocent, that'd be excellent.
I hate Speilberg more than anyone I know. But he doesn't always make action movies, and sometimes he can do good things with the look of a movie. Compare AI to Minority Report to Private Ryan. Actually, the unifying characteristic of those three movies is the contrast and dark blacks. That would kindof kill any attempt to copy the look of Herge's art.
Whatever. Tintin was one of my first experiences being disappointed by the fact that a storyteller was using formula. I felt ripped off. I'm more upset that those sons of bitches are destroying The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen [imdb.com]. Sure, it's not a classic, but it could make an excellent fucking movie. 'Scuse me.
Re:This is wrong. (Score:2)
As opposed to all those movies that use light blacks? ;)
Re:This is wrong. (Score:2)
Unless you're making a comment about race, in which case you might have a great point. And it'd be really apropos, given that we're discussing Tintin.
Re:This is wrong. (Score:2)
Sorry, I was just being my regular smart-assed self. ;)
Snowy (Score:3, Interesting)
Been done already... (Score:2, Interesting)
It was quite boring though, and didn't feel at all like the comics.
My guess is that this new one will be an entertaining movie, but still miles away from the original Tintin envisionned by Hergé.
Tintin's Film Resume (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Tintin's Film Resume (Score:2)
The site mentioned above (tintin.qc.ca) gives indeed a good history of the Tintin movies. The series was adapted into several not-so-good movies already. I've seen them all. :-)
The Spielberg aficionados will take comfort in knowing that Spielberg had been negociating to buy the Tintin movies. He declared in an interview that after the success of the 1st Indiana Jones, he had money for some old film projects he wanted to do, among which a Tintin movie. He has been a long-time admirer of Hergé. Unfortunately, after Hergé's death, the negociations went nowhere.
The character of Chang in the "Temple of Doom" is a hommage to Hergé's homonymous character in "The Blue Lotus" [daimi.aau.dk]
So one thing is sure. Spielberg is not doing this just because he's smelling money. He's taking Hergé's masterpiece as a work of art. That kind of approach generally gives decent results.
As a footnote, the person who heads the company that manages Hergé's copyrights and derivative is an American who married Hergé's widow. That person has acquired a rather sinister reputation for being absolutely merciless, some kind of male Hilary Rosen, not even allowing basic fair use.
South of the Border (Score:3, Funny)
I don't know what tintin is, but from the sounds of these posts, maybe we should send this one to "Steven Spielberg's non-union Mexican exquivalent" and keep it south of the border.
[2F31] A Star is Burns [snpp.com]
Burns: Get me Steven Spielberg!
Smithers: He's unavailable.
Burns: Then get me his non-union Mexican equivalent! [later] Listen, Senor Spielbergo, I want you to do for me what Spielberg did for Oskar Schindler.
Spielbergo: Er, Schindler es bueno, Senor Burns es el diablo.
Burns: Listen, Spielbergo, Schindler and I are like peas in a pod: we're both factory owners, we both made shells for the Nazis, but mine worked, dammit! Now go out there and win me that festival!
-- Burns puts his foot down, "A Star is Burns"
Live action Tintin actually dates back to the 60s (Score:5, Informative)
Return of Son of Bonfire of the Vanities... (Score:3, Funny)
Haley Joel Osment as Tin-Tin
Robin Williams in a hilarious double casting as The Thompson Twins
Harrison Ford as Captain Haddock
Richard Attenborough as the Professor
And of course, a CGI "Snowy".
I can't wait!
Oh barf. (Score:2)
Spielberg can't top this; there are just some things that if you try to imitate them you will only screw them up because the original is beyond imitation. I have a feeling this will turn out like the Batman series.. the first one will be just semi-OK and the rest will be banal marketing tripe used solely to stock toy store shelves at Christmas time.
He can film it if he wants, but I ain't gonna go see it.
Oh CRAP! Tintin by Spielberg. YUCK! (Score:2)
Hollywood/Spielberg will make some clap-trap dumbed-down gets-the-girl-in-the-end rendition of something which doesn't belong anywhere but on the printed page.
Fuck, why does Hollywood insist on tearing the heads off all my memories and jerkin' off down the neck. I'm going to stay well away from this Anglofied doggerel.
Casting Nightmare: (Score:5, Funny)
Leonardo DiCaprio as Tintin, or, if Leo's too old, "Malcolm in the Middle."
Jim Carrey as Professor Calculus.
Robin Williams as Thompson & Thomson.
Snowy will be CGI, voiced by Ahmed Best.
captain haddock (Score:3, Funny)
Something positive at least... (Score:2)
(I just hope Spielberg will do his best...)
Memepool link (Score:2)
This may be karma-whoring but at least I'm giving credit where credit is due...
Spielberg had it once before... and lost it (Score:5, Informative)
"More than ever, Hergé was leaning toward live-action movies. "Because that's the way I see it" he said to a journalist from L'Express, "My Tintin is alive, my Captain Haddock as well. But such movies should be produced with budgets equivalent to those a James Bond movie". And isn't it a project of that sort that Steven Spielberg brought to the screen in 1980 with Raiders of the Lost Ark? Although Indiana Jones, embodied by Harrison Ford, does not resemble the young reporter and his golf knickers, many scenes of the movie look as if they come from the adventures of Tintin or Blake et Mortimer. Quite strangely though, it seems that the references to classic Belgian comics are not coming from Hergé's or Jacobs' stories but from a cinematographic intermediary. Indeed, while preparing his own movie, Spielberg screened L'Homme de Rio a dozen times.
In 1982, Spielberg went one step further by proposing to acquire the rights to adapt The Adventures of Tintin. While weakened by an illness which would take him a few months later, Hergé expressed a strong interest in the venture, hoping that Spielberg would be granted all necessary liberties. But the director of Duel, unconvinced by the first script written by Melissa Matheson, soon decided to take on a production role and leave the directing to Europeans. Many names came up and among them, Jean-Jacques Beineix. But soon, the choice turned to Roman Polanski who said that he always wanted to make a Tintin movie. Wasn't one of the characters of Pirates a sort of Captain Haddock? Polanski declared his preference for King Ottokar's Sceptre, a story full of personal meanings. Nevertheless this project never took off and in 1987, Spielberg abandoned his option on the rights (at about the same time the Franco-Vietnamese producer Lâm Lê abandoned the idea of adapting La Marque Jaune from Edgar Jacobs)."
No comment (Score:3, Funny)
The best Tintin site (Score:2, Informative)
Tintin books in UK English? (Score:3, Interesting)
So, apparently the books are available as a collection now [bfast.com], but does anyone know where I can find Tintin in the UK English translations? (seriously)
Tintin has been translated into many languages, probably dozens. And, I can attest that there are both UK English editions and US English editions; however, the US English editions are horrible. I'm an American, so you can be assured that this isn't some wacky British pride clouding my judgement, but something was just not right in the US English versions.
So, does anyone know where I can buy the UK English editions of Tintin? Part of my problem is that, even if I can find Tintin for sale online (not that hard, I suppose), I'm not sure how to be certain which edition I'd be buying.
tintin in the congo (Score:2)
sans Women (Score:2, Interesting)
Unadaptable (Score:2, Interesting)
Herge (Score:3, Insightful)
P.S. In Flanders (Vlaanderen) and the Netherlands Tin-Tin is called "Kuifje" (cowlick,quiff) because of his unusual hairdo.
P.S.2: Some years ago, there was a TV-series (cartoon) made from the Tin-Tin stories. Luckely they were smart and did not make any changes in the original storyline.
Re:this does not seem appropriate (Score:4, Informative)
Re:this does not seem appropriate (Score:4, Informative)
"The Dog Tail" by New Zealand, based on the paper
cartoon "Footrot Flats". Now that was a good movie length cartoon.
Two words for you... (Score:3, Interesting)
I can't remember ever seeing a non- American animated film that was any good.
Try Nick Park [aardman.com] for example.
As an aside, it's a bit weird that his first Acadamy Award-winning short, Creature Comforts [aardman.com] is now appearing as a Japanese TV commercial [promise.co.jp] (probably Windows/IE only?), translated (of course!) with people talking about why they want a high-interest salary loan, and being Japan, unlip-synced, when one of the greatest things about the short is how perfectly the original English was lip-synced.
Re:Please Pardon my ignorance (Score:2, Informative)
Snowy is the dog. Tintin is da man.
Re:Tintin? (Score:5, Insightful)
Not only do the youth culture of today (and lets face it, its the kids buying tickets that make the box-office money) have no idea who Cuthbert Calculus is, let alone Tintin,there is no way that Spielberg even at his best could make it appealing to the masses without totally destroying what the comic series was, and in the process annoying all the real fans. The Tintin style of story is not the Hollywood style of story, and neither are the characters. No-one (except perhaps the youngest of children) could find the bumbling antics of Thompson and Thomson actually funny when played by actors in a real live setting.
The comic format was just too integral to what made Tintin fun, as was Herge's talent and attention to detail, which Spielberg and Hollywood may have no patience for.
Re:Tintin? (Score:2, Interesting)
The hell is this?
My youngest brother (14) knows who Tintin is. He borrowed them religiously from the school library until he had read every single one. His friends have read Tintin (he lent out his copies).
In fact, just a minute ago he was really excited because I just told him that
Maybe, just maybe, American children don't know who Tintin is. Maybe hes big in Europe (where we bought a half dozen Tintin books for the first time). Maybe Tintin isn't an American thing, so perhaps you've just got yourself a terribly narrow outlook on the world. Maybe.
Re:Tintin? (Score:2)
Australians are much like Americans, with the exception that they don't even have Canada and Mexico to rermind them that they are not alone in the world.
Re:Tintin? (Score:2)
Re:Tintin? (Score:2)
I collect the 16 mm L&H films, but have most of the shows on DVD
3 words (Score:2)
SCOOBY DO
* shudder *
Re:Important step (Score:2)
I adore Tintin. The sense of adventure and innocence is amazing. I hope he maintains the tenor and spirit of Hergé's creation.
What a thrill!
It's also crucial that they get just the combination of cute and mischievous for the actor. If it's Macauly Culkin or someone dippy like that, I'll be most disappointed.
That just made my very bad day.
Re:Important step (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Important step (Score:2, Insightful)
Spielberg makes airy fluff with lots of pretty things, let's not confuse this with art. Schindler's List is the pinnacle of his work, and for that his greatest decision was to follow the book almost to the letter (except for that excrable last scene in which survivors place stones on Schindler's grave). I will say that Saving provate Ryan was one of the most amazingly technically proficient films I have ever seen, with some incredible stunts, but that's melodrama, not good directing.
Re:I'm really looking forward to this. (Score:2)
Re:Other adaptions.... (Score:4, Informative)
Bill Watterson said NO to literally MILLIONS of dollars because he believed the integrity of his strip was worth more.
That, my friends, is something you don't see anymore; I respect him greatly for his decision, which has gone unheralded and ignored and even mocked by some.
iopha