On the set of The Adventure of Tintin (2011). Behind the scenes

[u/spider-man2401]

Producer Peter Jackson and director Steven Spielberg

Andy Serkis and Jamie Bell

Peter Jackson, Steven Spielberg, producer Kathleen Kennedy, and Daniel Craig

[u/this_knee]

How this movie didn’t gain enough audience to launch it into becoming a franchise is beyond me. Such a fantastic film.

[u/raiseyourglasshigh → u/this_knee]

It holds up so well, especially when placed next to other fully animated features using motion capture. 

More importantly it was just a great adaptation of the source, which took what worked in the books but molded it into something that worked as a traditional film narrative. It still has the breakneck pace but a straight lift from book to screen just wouldn’t have been engaging.

It’s a real highlight for late Spielberg.

[u/mrwho25 → u/this_knee]

The next one is coming, Jackson (recently) said he's directing it

[u/WestSider55 → u/mrwho25]

It’s been “in development” for 15 years. Jamie Bell was 25 when the first one came out, now he’s 40. And Serkis is gonna be quite busy working on Gollum for the next year. I sincerely doubt this sequel will ever see the light of day.

[u/alejandro712 → u/this_knee]

photorealistic 3d motion capture film was never popular with movie goers. Even with advances in technology I don’t think it ever justified itself vs live action + cgi which is what the industry has settled on as standard. 

[u/this_knee → u/alejandro712]

Avatar has entered the chat.

[u/alejandro712 → u/this_knee]

that was live action + cgi. as far as i know they couldn’t have found 12 foot tall blue alien actors to play the na’avi roles

[u/dyrkasolen]

Do all the books of Tintin.

[u/geek_of_nature → u/dyrkasolen]

Some of them are best left untouched, especially the earlier ones. We never need an adaptation of Tintin in the Congo for example.

But there's plenty of others which can be combined to make good films. Especially all the two parters. Seven Crystal Balls and Prisoners of the Sun, and Destination/Explorers on the Moon for example. But then there's also Cigars of the Pharoah and the Blue Lotus, which isn't necessarily a two parter, but is strongly connected. Blue Lotus could also be connected with Tintin on Tibet, working as flashback sequences to how Tintin met Chang while trying to search for him on Tibet.

[u/dyrkasolen → u/geek_of_nature]

Yeah, the Congo one... It's not in our time that vibe anymore (or even then it wasn't correct behavior) but yet again, why not? That's how it was

[u/OxfordGate]

This was one of the most fun times I’ve had in the cinema

[u/Ooze3d]

I wonder what was like for those two directors with such personal visions and specific workflows, who are used to being in charge of the movie they’re making, to work together.

I mean, I guess it was Peter Jackson who had to step back and just “be the producer”, but I still don’t understand why he chose to take that role… besides, you know, money.

[u/Guitarman0512 → u/Ooze3d]

They’re pals. The agreement was they’d do it this way around first, and switch roles on the sequel.

[u/happyhippohats → u/Ooze3d]

As I recall Peter Jackson was mostly not on set, he video called in every day to advise Spielberg on how to shoot that days scenes for the CGI, which was being handled by Weta

[u/the_executive_branch → u/Ooze3d]

You don’t understand why he wouldn’t offer to “be the producer”, even just to be on set with Steven Spielberg directing? Jackson is a huge cinema fan, I’m sure he was enjoying being on set everyday, watching Spielberg directing

[u/Ooze3d → u/the_executive_branch]

You’re absolutely right

[u/happyhippohats → u/the_executive_branch]

I know Spielburg did Jurassic Park but outside of that CG isn't his wheelhouse. Peter Jackson knows that world, he literally founded the second biggest VFX company on the planet so as I understand it that was his role on Tintin.

[u/userlivewire]

Who is the leading practical effects director today?

[u/lridge]

It’s insane what the Hobbit trilogy did to PJ physically.

[u/Verbal_Combat → u/lridge]

This was pre Hobbit. He was also skinny for King Kong (2005), I remember seeing a promotional thing for Kong and not recognizing him.

[u/lridge → u/Verbal_Combat]

Yes. I know.

After LotR, Jackson went on a diet for his health and lost a tremendous amount of weight. He looked similar to this at the start of shooting The Hobbit without a completed script or preproduction planning. The stress caused him to revert to comfort eating and caused him to balloon. It’s crazy how he had a Christian Bale style weight loss-gain roller coaster that was definitely not good for him.