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…

Originally a story from the Daily Mail, the rumor that Thomas Sangster has been cast as Tintin is getting stronger. The Telegraph has no new information except that are 100% certain. There is none of the fudging found in the Mail’s story such as “is about to sign…”.

I doubt that the Telegraph has any better sources of information that the Mail so I think this is just bad reporting. Sangster being cast is a just a rumour, one of many like Simon Pegg being cast as Tintin, though he does have the looks to make a good Tintin.

The Telegraph goes on to say that they don’t know which of the Tintin Books is being made into the film. Obviously they haven’t read this blog. We reported back in October that Red Rackham’s Treasure & Crab With The Golden Claws to be the Tintin Movies . Logically, Crab With The Golden Claws will be the first Tintin movie as this book introduces Captain Haddock.

Souce: Spielberg casts British teenager as Tintin

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?

Peter Jackson may drop the idea of directing The Hobbit to concentrate on finishing his current project The Lovely Bones and preparing for Tintin. Meanwhile, Andy Serkis (Gollum in Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy) has been talking to Empire Magazine about the Tintin movie. He recently spent a week on the sound stage for Avatar, James Cameron’s latest blockbuster, along with Peter Jackson and Steven Spielberg. Avatar is using Cameron’s Reality Camera System to film in 3-D and is likely to be part of the technology used in the Tintin films.

Its looking likely that Peter Jackson‘s Tintin movie will be the first one made. According to the Slashfilm blog Spielberg has got three projects on the go once the new Indiana Jones film is done. They are Tintin, Lincoln and The Trial of the Chicago Seven. It seems that The Trial… will be the first made meaning Spielberg won’t be able to put any time into Tintin under the end of this year.

This make a fair bit of sense. Peter Jackson’s production company is doing the special effects for all three Tintin films and Andy ‘Lord of the Rings’ Serkis has been cast, probably as Captain Haddock. Spielberg has never directed anything that is 100% CGI so with Jackson going first, it he will be able to work out the kinks in the CGI more easily than Spielberg and get the actors used to the process.

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.