Cast overboard in Tintin bust-up?

It is a plot so full of misadventure it could come straight from a Tintin book - and now it may have cost the widely anticipated film trilogy one of its stars.


The Peter Jackson and Steven Spielberg project has been delayed by the messy break-up between Universal Pictures and Paramount, which were to co-finance the US$135 million films.

It now seems that Paramount is in negotiations to fully finance the project, but only if Spielberg and Jackson reduce their take.

The uncertainty may have led British actor Thomas Sangster, who had been cast to play the indefatigable Belgian reporter, to withdraw.

Variety magazine has reported that cast members, including Sangster, 18, had been lost because of delays to shooting, which was supposed to start in Los Angeles this month.

Weta Digital in Wellington will do the visual effects, including motion capture technology similar to that used for Gollum in The Lord of the Rings.

Variety columnist Anne Thompson said Paramount was negotiating to fully finance the project, but the delays had affected casting.

The only other cast member confirmed in Tintin was Andy Serkis as Captain Haddock. But Variety did not say whether Serkis was still involved. Neither were the claims confirmed or denied by those involved in the project.

A spokesman for Jackson in Wellington declined to comment.

Variety reported that Jackson's cut of The Lovely Bones was screened for Paramount bosses two weeks ago. A small group of select media in London was given a sneak preview of scenes from the movie last month.

The film, based on the novel by Alice Sebold, is due to be released late next year.

Universal deems Tintin movie too expensive - report

Universal Pictures has recoiled at the cost of the 3-D animated movie adaptation of the adventures of Tintin by two of Hollywood's top directors, Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson, the Los Angeles Times reported Friday.

The two legendary directors submitted to Universal a 130 million dollar budget to produce a trilogy of films based on the beloved Belgian comic-strip boy reporter.

But Universal refused to green light the project, and production, scheduled to begin in October, is on hold until Spielberg and Jackson find other financing, the Times said.

Paramount -- owner of DreamWorks, where Spielberg has been developing the project -- had agreed to finance half the film and was hoping to partner with Universal, the Times said.

Now, Spielberg will have to ask Paramount to foot the entire bill, at a time when the director had been looking to end his association with the studio, the paper said.

Universal officials winced when they saw the two Hollywood luminaries demanding about 30 percent of the movie's total gross revenues, meaning that "Tintin" would have to rake in some 425 million dollars globally before the studios could break even, according to the newspaper.

Tintin has been a long-time pet project for Spielberg, while Jackson -- the Oscar-winning, New Zealand director of "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy -- had already developed a test film which had brought the characters created by Georges Remi, better known by his pen name Herge, to life.

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost to be Thompson Twins?

Simon Pegg may star in Steven Spielberg's Tintin film with his Hot Fuzz co-star Nick Frost.

The actor told The Sunday Times that the Jaws filmmaker suggested he and Frost play the Thompson Twins when he visited the set of the 3-D motion capture movie.

"Steven's smoking a stogy, cap on head, like he's always been since I was a baby," recalled Pegg. "I shook his hand and chatted about films. He gave me the mo-cap (motion-capture) camera, and I had a play around with it. Then he said, 'Hey, maybe you and Nick Frost could play the Thompson Twins.' In Tintin. A Spielberg movie. To work with him is beyond..."

It seems a quite bizarre choice as the Thompsons are twins!