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Deadline Comic-Con film correspondent Luke Y Thompson reports:
What do you do when you have a big-ticket movie planned as the first of a trilogy that uses a technology most fans are still skeptical about? Bring the big gun to Comic-Con. And so I’ve confirmed that Steven Spielberg is coming on the morning of July 22nd. Bear in mind that Spielberg didn’t even show for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull in person, but by video. That was a sure thing. The Adventures Of Tintin isn’t, at least as a movie. But as a panel? It’s become the must-see. Spielberg will be presented with the Inkpot award, which Comic-Con apparently gives out every year (though I can’t recall seeing it done at a panel before). It worked for James Cameron and Avatar, when people still thought 3D and 9-foot blue people were bad bets. Now comes Tintin, a beloved international property less-known in the U.S. adapted to the big screen using the kind of motion-capture technology that Robert Zemeckis loves but audiences aren’t on board with yet. Spielberg’s decision to use motion capture was based in part on the notion that famous actors in wigs and make-up would look too much like, well, stars in wigs and make-up. So he wanted characters that looked more like the actual cartoons. But so far, the Belgian comics are charming in 2D, and look weird as blobby 3D CG characters. There’s little doubt Spielberg will show the best bits. It’ll be interesting to see if they turn the corner on audience perception.
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Hmmm, welll right now Spielberg needs Comicon way more than Comicon needs Spielberg.
Agreed, he will act like the King buy up a few projects put them in development hell and then steal that idea and claim they were his. Heads up Comiconer’s.
and Amistad and Minority Report are proof.
Yeah, it wouldn’t be so bad that he stole ideas like Amistad and Minority Report. But the last Indiana Jones has the SAME script, down to the creepy critters at the end as the Mummy 3.
Go figure.
Luke,
Giving the inkpot award at a panel is not unusual. It was presented to Drew Struzan at the panel that featured him last year.
And wasn’t it Dick Jackman the year before that?
Fantastic! Check the insightful interview with Spielberg over at AICN recently, commemorating the 20th anniversary of JAWS. It’s remarkable that Spielberg is as in touch with today’s audiences as ever. Look forward to Deadline’s coverage of his appearance.
“Stealberg is attending to not only sell TinTin to cynical crowds of fanboys (who he thinks need him) – but to also to most likely poach new comic ideas he can claim as his own.”
That was the quote from another site where I won’t mention the name – but allegedly has WGAw ties. Apparently Stealberg is notorious for doing this – particularly with younger writers looking for a break.
Don’t believe me? Just ask Josh Friedman.
Guest: so you are saying Spielberg “stole” the idea for War of the World from Josh Friedman?
Insert sigh
TINTIN looks just dreadful. Zemeckis’ love for the format was ill-advised and this movie looks just like them — same, emotionless character design that makes you wonder why they either didn’t do full animation or went live-action with it. Instead, it’s in the netherworld between them and isn’t going to work.
It’s both too late to the party for that, as well as 3-D. They’ll surely do alright internationally, but this isn’t going to be a big hit stateside.
It’s all about opinions of course and mine, as well as many, many others, is that this looks fantastic and we cannot wait to see our childhood hero in this movie. Voice work is perfect too. The writers, producer, diretor and source are making this one of the most highly anticipated movies of the end of the year for many.
There’s your problem. You say “our childhood hero”. Great for you and your friends, but I absolutely guarantee you that 99.5% of U.S. Moviegoers have never heard of TinTin, and probably dont care to after seeing that trailer.
“Many”? More like the very tiny minority.
Agreed. We had “Tin Tin on the Moon” on TV the other day, that loveable 2D animation series. And all I could think throughout was how much I’d wished for a decent Tin Tin movie either with real actors. These trailers for Tin Tin look dreadful, those movements… and the eyes… no thank you.
Didn’t Miyazaki get the Inkpot at his Disney panel in 2009?
Sorry but maybe there are a few here (site included) that are a little caught up in the Americans don’t get / know Tintin thing. Whilst the motion capture format isn’t truly loved anywhere, the film’s trailers have been going down a storm in pretty much every country I’ve read about, dealt with (UK, France, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand, Germany and many more)
This also applies to grand parents, parents and small children. The film will do very good business everywhere else; leaving the release date 2 months after everywhere else suggests the North American gross may already be being seen as a bonus more than anything else and that cynical Americans (Not so much Canadians) will be turned by the (hopefully for the producers) massive global take the film will have already amassed elsewhere.
Not sure about the further use of MoCap for “animated” films. Zemeckis’ use of this just didn’t seem real. It is doubtful that adding 3D to the mix – in its present technology – will make it any more immersive.
But the big question is will the US market embrace a decades-old Belgian comic character? What’s next Steve – the Katzenjammer Kids 3D?
Inkpots are traditionally given out during panels. The only time it isn’t is when it is presented to a Comic-Con committee member where it is done at one of their internal gatherings.
If the woman in Avatar can look alive, how come Tintin can look so dead? I don’t know much about technology, but Tintin does look pre Avatar.
Why do people constantly refer to Zemeckis when Spielberg used Cameron’s mo-cap tech and even has Weta animating?
The key difference between the Zemeckis/Spielberg CG look and Cameron’s is simple: Z&S are trying to recreate humans. Cameron made 10 foot-tall blue cat people. It’s much easier to get by with believable synthespians when they’re not human. And it’s even easier when they’ve got big dreamy eyes (more emotion!) and indulge in hot xeno-nudity (more sexy!). So of course, the Na’vi get by mostly unscathed.
Zemeckis and Spielberg, on the other hand, are producing unholy digital beings that look like the Zombies of Uncanny Valley. It’s like that scene in Cronenberg’s The Fly: Jeff Goldblum feeds Geena Davis delicious real steak (familiar), followed by teleported fake steak (unfamilar.) The look on her face says it all.
This is such a strange project, I don’t know what made them feel compelled to spend all that money on it and possible sequels when they don’t know whether it will even be successful or not. It doesn’t look all that interesting to me, but I’m not a Tintin fan, so…plus everyone that’s tried to do realistic motion-capture has failed, with the exception of James Cameron, and even his mo-cap wasn’t perfect.
Edit: I forgot to add Jackson’s Gollum, which was pretty good as well.
what’s with all the hating and bashing! it’s a huge phenomena over the pond. it’s really entertaining too! i know! what negativity, give it up kids and ENJOY the moment, er the movie!!
The negative comments is due to the fact that the trailer looks absolutely dreadful (seriously, it’s a piece of garbage), and TinTin itself is not widely known in the U.S. You’ve got one of the biggest names in Hollywood helming a movie with a huge budget and the vast majority is not even remotely interested.
Not sure why he’s bothering with Comic-Con. Tin Tin will bomb in the U.S. no matter what he does, but it will be a massive success globally, so why is he sweating the U.S. release?
Seeing Spielberg would be pretty rad, but I was more excited that Comic-Con really would be less major studio driven this year. I’m pretty excited for the smaller panels still. There’s one with Lloyd Kaufman that looks pretty good about getting exposure for independent art.
I’m an actual American fan of Euro comics and couldn’t give a shit about Tintin. Now do an animated movie on Daniel Torres’ “Rocco Vargas” series, or any of Enki Bilal’s stuff and you’d be saying something.
I had never heard of Tin Tin until my son watched the cartoon on Nickelodeon when he was a kid, and that was about fifteen years ago. The movie is obviously going to be aimed at a kid/family audience. The movie might not be a blockbuster, but there might be enough people my son’s age who remember the cartoon, and will go see it, or take their own small children to see it to make it at least moderately successful.