Toon Zone Talkback - The Official "Tintin" Movie News Thread

I wanna see TinTin as much as the next person, but $130 mil seems a bit steep. Is it just for the first movie or the entire trilogy?

Since Spielberg is affiliated with Dreamworks, why not use some of that Shrek money to finance the movie(s).

Maybe Disney/Pixar might show some interest ;) ...
 
Most animated movies take about that much to make, so that would just be for the first movie, not an entire trilogy, if that was the price for the 3 movies they'd have already started filming.
 
I think Pixar is focused on their own original ideas. But Dreamworks could probably do it, the Shrek series is based off of a book and their doing another movie, How to Train Your Dragon, which is also based on a book, so Tintin could happen with them.

This is Peter Jackson's project right, we can see why Universal was hesitant. Not criticizing Jackson's work, but he does use a lot of money.
 
Well, considering it's Spielberg and Jackson, who have deep roots in the industry, I say there's hope. Also, considering the two have strong personal attachmens to the subject material, they probably won't abandon it for a while and hold out. Though, it is interesting that such kingpins in Hollywood are running into this kind of problem.

However, the fact that Universal is rejecting it largely due to financial reasons and it's not the 100% surefire success they're hoping for has me concerned that a lot of potentially innovative large budget films will be sidelined for more pictures that don't try to do more than conform to studio formulas. Also, this caution may cause studios to keep filmmakers on a tighter leash and reject material they don't think audiences will be attracted to.
 
Sadly, there would only be one way this film would be greenlighted with such a huge budget:

Studio Exec: 130 million? Alright, Spielberg, you're approved. What do you think about Ashton Kutcher as Tintin?

Spielberg: Mentally deficiant studio exec say wha-?

Studio Exec: This'll be the perfect movie to partner Kutcher up with Dane Cook. Budget approved!
 
Edit: Misread the article. It said motion capture, not stop motion.

But still, I don't think Monster House (That was motion capture, wasn't it?) and The Polar Express cost that much, did they?
 
I don't know, maybe 130 million is too much, but Tin Tin does go up to some pretty exotic locales.



Monster House didn't cost this much no, but it wasn't an epic that Tin Tin would be. Polar Express though was ridiculously expensive, I think with production and distribution, the movie was over 200 million.
 
Beowulf was also very expensive, like $150 million.

Spielberg's lowest budget movie in this decade was 2002's Catch Me If You Can which cost $50 million. Munich cost $70 million. The Terminal cost $60 million.
 
See, the golden rule in the industry, for anyone, has always been, when Spielberg wants to team with you, you say yes. Always.

When someone turns Spielbergo down, you know something is seriously wrong.
 
I know everyone ignored me, but this news was released during the week when the stock market crashed. Don't you think Universal may be a little nervous about spending money on a franchise based on a character most people don't care about?
 
The source article seemed to indicate that it was for just the first movie. Considering how much the average mocap movie has been costing, that's actually not too surprising. The article also noted that $30M has already been spent on development to this point, which is included in that $130M figure.

It still boggles my mind that Bill Plympton made Idiots & Angels for $125,000 when it seems Hollywood can't even get out of pre-production without adding two zeros to that number.



Again, according to the source article, Spielberg's history in the industry is hurting as much as it's helping right now:



It's not like everybody everywhere loves Spielberg.



The stock market crash (and the expected reduction in disposable income for things like going to the movies) no doubt played a factor in the decision, but probably a last-minute one. If anything, it might have been the straw that broke the camel's back -- during the high-flying era a year or two ago, they probably would have said yes.

Also, most Americans don't care about Tintin. He's huge in Europe and Asia, and a Tintin movie would probably make as much or more there as here. I'd think they could go to a Canal+ or some other European entertainment conglomerate, but I don't think any of them are in any position to make a $100M bet.

-- Ed
 
Love has nothing to do with it. Spielberg makes money and that's what matters at the end of the day. That being said...I can see how some in the industry may be starting to not care about Spielberg. The man is 62. He has a good decade of filmmaking left in him. So, I think studios are in the process of moving on to the next generation.
 
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