'Where The Wild Things Are' Runs $32.4M 
Oscar Can't Always Get What He Wants 
NBC Bright Spot Of Lousy GE 3Q Earnings; 4Q … 
Oops! Vivendi May Delay 20% NBCU Sale? 
65 Nations Vie For Foreign Language Oscar 
Elle's Women In Hollywood Power List 
HOW BIG IS BIG? AEG Predicts Michael Jackson … 
Sane Debt-Reduction Move By Redstone; But … 
EXCLUSIVE: Comcast Wants NBCU Deal Done … 
One of the film's producers, Kathleen Kennedy revealed her role in the decison at today's "Produced By" Conference. Noting this is a first for a film directed by Steven Spielberg, she said she had to do some arm-twisting to convince distributors Paramount and Sony to allow the 3-D pic to premiere in Europe 8 weeks in advance of its North America launch on December 23rd, 2011. But it makes sense since The Adventures Of Tintin is based on the Belgian children's tale. "That property is known so well in Europe and virtually not at all here," Kennedy said. Paramount is handling Tintin's distribution in the U.S., UK, Australia and Asia, while Sony has Belgium, France, the rest of Europe, and the rest of the world. 
The film is a joint production of both Spielberg's Amblin/DreamWorks and Peter Jackson's WingNut Films.
For the record, Tintin will follow holiday schedules in Europe. The movie will release in France and Belgium at the end of October handled by Sony. The other European countries roll out in November and into December. Then in the U.S. and other markets at Christmas. As one of my insiders says. "When you look at a movie like Angels & Demons doing triple the business outside the U.S. on some of these films, you have to look at international as the primary market. And provide the biggest upside there."
Loading ...
Wow, that is just a major internet leak waiting to happen. Happens every time something releases overseas first. It’ll be online days (if not hours) after it opens in Europe, and with something as anticipated as a Spielberg/Jackson collaboration, people will watch this by the thousands.
As an American, I have to caution the Paramount team that not everyone in this country is clueless about Tintin, Snowy and the gang. In fact, I have been watching the evolution of this multi-film project quite closely for the last few years and am excited — and a bit concerned — to see what this stellar team does with some superb original material.
There’s been an animated Tintin series (impossible to get here in the US) that shows the storybooks convert nicely into action sequences, but I’m sure that somehow even with the first based on “Red Rackham’s Treasure” it’ll prove to be quite different from the original story.
But yeah, eight weeks is going to be a LONG time to wait…
I could understand a week or two lag, but two months? That’s just stupid; what’s the upside? The pirates will have a field day with this. There’s going to be no reason to spend money on a US premier – Pirate Bay will take care of it for free.
Tin-Tin will be in 3-D, so i’m sure it’ll draw an audience.
“Blue Blistering Barnacles!” Everyone I know grew up reading Tintin.
And I guess Paramount must have a real soft spot for internet pirates…
In addition to the piracy concerns and the possible perception of staleness US audiences may have for a two-month-old movie, there’s also the word-of-mouth issue; if the film isn’t well received in Euroland, it will be panned Stateside long before it opens, giving WOM ample time to do its damage. Pretty risky, actually. All in all, it should make for an interesting case study, though I’d think you’d want to experiment on a property that didn’t have a $150+ million budget.
@ Brian M: Yeah because americans dont pirate anything…
I asked around. Nobody knows who Tintin is. This is going to flop bigtime.
Tintin is a disaster in the making here in North America. It may be a well-known property in Europe, but it is virtually a mystery in the US…I don’t know about Canada.
However, Tintin DVD’s will be available in local Ralph’s and Von’s parking lots across Southern California two days after its release in October in Europe. I’m sure they’ll be easily available by all the “usual retailers” that peddle bootleg stuff, but I don’t think anyone will really care.
This one smells like a bomb, a real stinker.
The 3Dness will nullify the piracy – and with a tentpole like this anyone watching a badly cammed version full of coughs will still hand over their $12 to watch it in the multiplex. I don’t think piracy hurts these top of the line movies…but the second string horror/comedy films definitely do get hurt…
International is 70 percent of a film’s theatrical gross, domestic is 30 percent, plus International is where everybody’s greenlight money is coming from these days. Makes sense as long as the distributor doesn’t encounter countries that block funds. Or maybe Viacom doesn’t want to have the cash flow get sidetracked into National Amusements’ theatre debt too soon.
I was not implying US peope dont pirate anything. It would be online right away if it opened here as well.
What I am saying is that there are plenty of people who just want to see a movie ASAP, and so even if they would have gone to a theater. If its available online 2 months early thanks to a european release, theyll just watch that instead.
…amd 3-d does NOT “nullify” the piracy. 3-D is an annoying fad that needs to die (again).
…AND i gotta say, neither myself or anyone I know has a clue who TinTin is, and dont really care. The ONLY appeal of this is the involvement of Spielberg and Jackson.
I remember the Tintin toons from the 60s.
But this would have been the perfect time to release the movie, Tintin has the same hair as Conan O’Brien!
For the record: Tintin’s pretty much a household name up here in Canada, thanks- the books are in every bookstore’s “children’s” section, and the cartoons still pop up on TV. As to the bootlegging question- don’t movies that open early in the US get thoroughly pirated before a later foriegn opening? It’ll just be the same deal in reverse.(And for those who haven’t noticed- the international market can be VERY profitable- have you seen the numbers for ANGELS AND DEMONS? Tintin’ll do just fine, even if America doesn’t get on board with the rest of the world).
I’ve been telling people this for a few years now. Hollywood does NOT care what America thinks because Hollywood doesn’t need Domestic BO anymore. Make no mistake about it, America is marginalized and only accounts for 10% of the bottom line on these movies. What this shows is that the American people just don’t matter anymore. America has been over-consumed to the point where the big corps have cleaned you out. Now they are going overseas to make their money in China and Europe.
I have to admits, I kind of agree. I haven’t met a real American in a long time. They either drone to the beat of Obama or some idiot multi-millionaire on the radio. I’m surprised Americans can go to the bathroom on their own, without being told what to buy and what to use.
Tintin ran for awhile on nickelodeon in the 90’s. I’m sure that there are a lot of individuals who know about Tintin and his adventures with snowy in Europe, the states, and the jungle
I thought this was a 2011 release? Item leaves the impression that we’re talking about 2009.
Who cares if the property is known in North America? This is Spielberg and Jackson, two reliable, talented and popular filmmakers.
You know, there was a time when movies were made from a good script and a good concept. There were successful films that weren’t based on a graphic novel, a video game, or another film.
If its a good film, it will work. This logic that it has to be based on something that everyone knows is just ridiculous…and its what is destroying the entertainment industry.
“But it makes sense since The Adventures Of Tintin is based on the Belgian children’s tale.” Yeah, right, that’s it. Here’s a question for you: Who’s going to promote this flick?
Sure the early UK-release got nothing to do with UK-actors SIMON PEGG, DANIEL CRAIG and JAMIE BELL. The movie will draw lots of support at the UK box-office, but…
Supposed “sexy hot star” DANIEL CRAIG couldn’t fill seats with DEFIANCE (Bell was also in that one) and we still hate Quantum of Solace with a passion.
PEGG’s performance in STAR TREK sucked big time. Previously, his horrid HOW TO LOSE FRIENDS AND ALIENATE PEOPLE bombed tremendously outside the UK. He’s quickly gone the way of his US-counterpart Jim Carrey. Pegg’s rubber-face shtick is just as tired and there’s something annoying about this guy.
So – who’s going to promote TINTIN in the US? Jamie Bell (Jumper, Defiance)? I guess Spielberg will have to work his ass off.
It is nice that they were respectful enough of the European roots of Tintin to hold up US release for eight weeks and release here at Christmas. Wouldn’t it have been even more respectful to hold up US release for nine weeks and put the picture in American theaters the first week of January? What’s the hurry?
Never heard of Tintin…
Funny how once upon a time, Hollywood made American movies for American audiences, and somehow those movies became popular all over the world. We don’t care very much about investing in ourselves, do we?
Nice to see that they respect he European roots of Tintin enough to hold up US release for eight weeks, which puts them square in the middle of Christmas.
Wouldn’t it have been even more respectful to hold up for nine weeks and release the first week of January?
All the world is Kingdom Hollywood’s movie set and we are mere background players.
I think it is terrific that Hollywood is targeting the International Community; let them drown in endless pop-culture stupidity for a change.
Personally, I am sick and tired of Hollywood and hope the industry does America a great service by moving the entire crap-filled industry to Cuba.
@ Joe: Wow, you’re an idiot.
I do love watching Americans having a brain bleed at the very notion that the rest of the universe (and 95% of the human race) DOES NOT REVOLVE AROUND YOU. If only ego-reductions were as popular as boob jobs…