Talks Ongoing to Finance Spielberg's Tintin Project
Posted on October 31, 2008
Sony and Paramount are now in talks to finance Steven Spielberg's pet project Tintin. Quite a bit of money has been spent on the motion capture film, when Spielberg found out that his financing wasn't as secure as he thought. It now appears that the film will go forward. But it's not a done deal yet.
Sony Pictures Entertainment and Paramount Pictures are in talks to co-finance the digital 3-D "Tintin," the Steven Spielberg/Peter Jackson series based on the Belgian "Tintin" comics.This deal should have been wrapped up long ago. It's a sign of the current gloomy economic environment that Steven Spielberg can't just snap his fingers and get financing for a favorite project. He'll get the funding, of course.After resolving the Paramount-DreamWorks divorce, putting together a studio deal for "Tintin" was next on Spielberg's agenda. After Universal balked at partnering on the first installment, which Spielberg will direct, Paramount offered to fully back the first movie with a reduced backend at $135 million for the two gross participants. When the filmmakers held out for a better deal, a partner became a viable alternative.
While neither Sony nor Paramount would comment, both confirmed talks were under way. Spielberg had hoped to be in production by this fall. However, when financing fell apart at Universal on the eve of DreamWorks/Paramount divorce, he lost the participation of his lead actor Thomas Sangster. Nonetheless, "Tintin" is expected to be complete in time for a 2010 release. Jackson will direct the sequel.