The Tintin movie so far

The first of two films by Speilberg/Jackson

Seven months ago, the first reports of the upcoming Tintin movie, The Secret of the Unicorn, started trickling out. Much of the discussion to date has been centered around cast members, financing problems, scripts, and the technical aspects of the production. Finally, the movie has a U.S. release date of December 23, 2011 and readers deserve a more concise report on exactly what this movie is about.

The general plot

The Secret of the Unicorn is considered by many to be one of the first truly great Tintin adventures. It is part mystery, part pirate tale, and part treasure hunt. The story begins when our hero, Tintin, purchases a model sailing ship in a street market. The innocent transaction gets him involved with pickpockets, burglars, and finally the promise of buried treasure. As the story progresses, the author, Hergé, introduces us to Captain Haddock's ancestor, Sir Francis Haddock (whose affinity for unusual curses rivals that of Captain Haddock himself), captain of the ship "The Unicorn" and the one whose treasure they eventually seek. The Secret of the Unicorn was Tintin's first official two-book adventure, continued in Red Rackham's Treasure.

The book involves most of the famous characters created by Hergé. Other than Tintin, it includes, Captain Haddock, the bumbling detectives Thompson and Thomson, Sir Francis Haddock, Professor Calculus, and introduces the butler, Nestor, and Marlinspike Castle.

To learn more about the characters, visit the TintinBlog.com.

What makes this film special

Others have attempted to turn Tintin into a television and movie franchise in the past, only to be met with commercial and critical failure. The first series popped up in the late 1950's, and the most recent attempt was in the early 1990's with a 3-season 39 episode run. Considered by most Tintin afficianados to be the most interesting, is the 1947 stop-motion film directed by Claude Misonne and based on the book, Crab with the Golden Claws.

Now, with the promise of the dream team of Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson, the world is optimistic that someone, finally, is going to bring Tintin to life in a way that captures the essence of the books. Spielberg has a chance to leverage Jackson's advanced technology - first introduced in the Lord of the Rings trilogy - of 3-d motion capture to reinterpret the story while remaining faithful to the artistic style that Hergé defined. But, perhaps more importantly, many feel that Spielberg and Jackson have a better understanding of how to emotionally connect with the audience. Most believe that connection is what will tip the scales in their favor and finally give the world a Tintin movie worth watching.

The cast of characters

According to sources such as IMDB, the full cast is not completely confirmed. But, the main characters have been set for a long time now, and include some of the biggest names in the movie business. Here is a brief breakdown of who's who:

Tintin is played by Jamie Bell. Most know this actor from his popular roll in the film Billy Elliot and most recently from his role in Defiance (coincidentally also starring Daniel Craig, another Secret of the Unicorn cast member).

Captain Haddock is played by Andy Serkis, who is no stranger to the world of 3-d motion capture and Peter Jackson. He played Gollum in The Lord of the Rings.

The bumbling detectives, Thompson and Thomson, are played by Simon Pegg and Nick Frost of the famed Shaun of the Dead film. You can read how these two became "twins" here.

Finally, the main cast is complete with Daniel Craig, star of the recently revived James Bond franchise. Craig plays the role of the dread pirate, Red Rackham.

It is rumored that Toby Jones of Frost/Nixon will play the role of Professor Calculus.

"Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn", is a film directed by Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson based on a book written and illustrated by Georges Remi (AKA: Hergé); screenply by Steven Moffat; music composed by John Williams.

For more info: visit TintinBlog.com