By Sarah Sluis
I can see why Tintin was greenlighted: it's a comic book series already being planned as a trilogy, and
it's really, really big in France (just like Mickey Rourke!), ensuring a sizable foreign box office. As someone cursorily introduced to the series in French class, I never really understood the appeal, although I'm sure I'll be eating my words once the film releases in 2011. Still, I think Steven Spielberg has a real challenge in adapting this series: the characters are a beloved part of pop culture for one segment of your audience, but totally unknown to another. Thankfully, the problem isn't as bad as if Spielberg had chosen a similarly popular French comic series like Astrix (which culls its cast from French historical and mythological figures), but it's still there nevertheless. Instead of creating a memorable character, like Indiana Jones, he will have to both introduce the character to those unfamiliar with him, as well as provide satisfying details to fans. Films like these (I include Harry Potter) never end up as satisfying as the books, although I am sure non-Tintin fans like myself will enjoy them.
The fully-titled The Adventures of Tintin: Secrets of the Unicorn went into production yesterday, prompting the secretive production to finally reveal the titular performer. Jamie Bell, the lead in Billy Elliot and currently playing a supporting role in
Defiance, will star as the crime-solving comic book adventurer. As some may note, Tintin has a distinctive, cowlick-y haircut. Unfortunately, details of Bell's hairstyle were not released, although it appears from press photos that he can work the unruly lock look. One can only hope they take the Tintin "flip" as seriously as the Chigurh bowl/blunt cut in No Country For Old Men, the best characterization-by-haircut ever seen on film.
Also cast in Tintin is another Defiance star, Daniel Craig (you may know him as James Bond), who will play Red Rackham. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (who appeared together in Shaun of the Dead) will play the Thompson twins, and Andy Serkis (the voice of Gollum/Smeagel in Lord of the Rings) will play Captain Haddock. The Brit-heavy cast adds to the international appeal of the film, already complemented by the globetrotting plots in Tintin comic books. One aspect of the movie I'm not sold on is performance capture. Seeing the performance-captured face of Tom Hanks in Polar Express drained my excitement about the medium, but if anyone can make it work, it's Steven Spielberg. Or Peter Jackson, the producer of this film who has said he will direct the second installment.
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