During a masterclass at the Debussy Theater, where Peter Jackson received an honorary Palme d’Or, the Lord of the Rings director revealed that he was working hard on a new Adventures of Tintin script in his hotel room. “I’ve been working with Fran [Walsh] on another Tintin script, I was writing it in the hotel room here,” Jackson said (reported by WorldofReel). “It’s an active real thing, and I’m getting back into the Tintin world, and I actually love it.” The good news is he’s also directing it.
Peter Jackson recently revealed the reason he hasn’t directed a narrative film since 2014’s The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies: the death of his friend and DP, Andrew Lesnie. The good news is that Jackson himself is working on his return. And it’s coming any day now. And according to reports, it’s going to be this Tintin sequel.
Just recently, Andy Serkis, who voiced Captain Haddock in The Adventures of Tintin, chatted with Collider and revealed that Jackson really wants to make the second film. “I love that Tintin film. I loved the process of making that film with such great filmmakers. I think Peter really, really wants to make it, so hopefully down the line,” he said.
It seems he was right.
Serkis himself is really busy at the moment, of course. He’s got The Batman Part II shoots, and he’s taking on directing from Jackson for the upcoming The Lord of the Rings sequel: The Hunt for Gollum. But that busy schedule couldn’t even prevent him from expressing his excitement for Tintin 2, a film that’s been in limbo for quite some time now.
During the masterclass, Jackson also revealed the real reason he isn’t directing The Hunt For Gollum. “I could have directed it, but I thought, I’ve done that. It would be more interesting with this particular story –which takes place between Hobbit and Lord of the Rings — if Andy directed it,” he said.
But Jackson’s absence from The Hunt For Gollum gives him time to get Tintin 2 going.
Jackson’s announcement also aligns with what Steven Spielberg said back in 2018, when he confirmed Jackson was still attached and expected to take over directing duties. “Peter Jackson has to do the second part. Normally, if all goes well, he will soon start working on the script. As it takes two years of animation work on the film, I wouldn’t expect to see it released for at least another three years. But Peter will stick with it. Tintin is not dead!”
Spielberg’s words would become a little prophetic, except it’s taking much longer than 3 years at this point.
The first film, The Adventures of Tintin, released in 2011, didn’t exactly make a ton of money at the U.S. box office, but it did well in other international markets. As it should be. The character has always been popular in Europe.
The sequel reportedly pulls from Prisoners of the Sun, The Seven Crystal Balls, and The Temple of the Sun. The first film mixed together three stories too: The Secret of the Unicorn, The Crab with the Golden Claws, and Red Rackham’s Treasure. So Jackson clearly likes building a Tintin remix album instead of adapting one book straight through.
Jackson returning to direct Tintin 2 would be a great way to re-enter the industry. Sure, he’s kept busy with those documentaries over the years. But They Shall Grow Old (2019) and The Beatles: Get Back (2021) aren’t The Lord of the Rings, or Tintin, for that matter. They aren’t the spectacle films we’ve come to expect from the director.
There’s a whole new generation that hasn’t even heard about Tintin. A sequel from Jackson could rectify that. It’s time!
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