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Actor Andy Serkis is set to collaborate once more with director Peter Jackson for the DreamWorks trilogy “Tintin,” based on the famous Belgian comic strip by Georges Remi.
Andy Serkis has already provided the human expressions and gestures behind CG characters in Peter Jackson movies, such as Gollum in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy and the giant ape in “King Kong.”
He will now star in the upcoming trilogy based on the comic strip by the late Belgian cartoonist Georges Remi, who wrote under the name Hergé.
Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson will each helm at least one of the three films but it remains to be announced by DreamWorks in what order this will happen.
Serkis will not portray Tintin, the young reporter who travels around the world for his stories, often taking on investigative duties and always accompanied by his loyal dog Snowy.
Tintin’s adventures were described by Remi in 23 comic books published between 1929 and 1976; these proved to be especially successful in Europe and have been translated into 50 languages, selling over 200 million copies worldwide.
The comic book hero is often joined in his travels and investigations by characters such as Captain Haddock, Bianca Castafiore, Nestor, Cuthbert Calculus and Rastapopoulos. It is being speculated that Serkis could portray Captain Haddock.
Variety reported last week that principal photography on the first film in the series is scheduled to begin in September.
The trilogy will be produced in full digital 3-D using performance capture technology. Jackson's New Zealand-based special effects company, Weta Digital, will begin work before the September date, per Variety.
Spielberg and Jackson are producing “Tintin” alongside Kathleen Kennedy. Spielberg and Kennedy have owned the movie rights ever since 1983 but the occasion to make use of these rights did not present itself sooner.
In May, when the project was first announced, Jackson stated that while the movie characters will closely resemble Remi’s cartoons, they would not be cartoonish.
“We're making them look photo-realistic - the fibers of their clothing, the pores of their skin and each individual hair. They look exactly like real people - but real Hergé people,” the director said.
Serkis has been nominated for a Golden Globe for his supporting role in the TV series “Longford.” His other credits include “13 Going on 30” and “The Prestige.”
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