a i Lo 70 EMPIRECaN i. Te a iPARIS THE CHPITAL OF ‘On September 16,1981, Raiders Of The Lot Ark Les Adventurers De Arche Pend fl de Steven Spielberg —openedin Paris The words “Le retour de la grande aventure!” blared across billboards, and Francs, ike the vest of the work, fellin ove with Indy, Marion and that minkey w salute. Stayingin ‘ono Champs Elyseis cinema for 89 weeks, it Yet, through the fug of G perceptive, polo-nesked cinephiles — hey, they {got Hitcheos descendant of Herge’s boy reporter Tintin, sharing the came intrepid, resourceful, hero IDNA. There was only use mouee dan fa ‘pommade: Spielberg had never hesré of Tintin, “Growing up in Ameria, T knew Ri Tin, the war wonder dog, but not Tintin.” admits Spielberg, “The books wereal in French. Thad three years of basic high-school French, so when I did rad thom [had Tintin in my left hhond and my French-to-Engish dictionary in ry right and, [becamean intent fan.” ‘Next October, Spielberg will lease his own {ake on Tintin — The Adventures OF Tintin: The Secret Of The Unicorn — some 30 years afer he first discovered one of Europe's most ‘enduring cons. Spielberg hs tackled literary adaptations bofore, both classic (3. M. Barta, HG. Wels) and modern Peter Benchley, Alico ‘Walker, Ballard, Micheel Crichton, Thomas Keneally Brian Aldis, Philip K. Dick, and coming up, Michae! Morpurgo, writer of War Hore). This maybe his frst comi-book ovis Int nothing he as tacked before asad the reich and resonance of Tintin. Two funded i tlon copies sold double The Lord Of Te! a — Rings Teemlated ito over 50 languages The, Pa 7 Pali Lama wala PopatitsAnly Wash! | eres and Roy Lichtnsein we ited on Heng cE siinlammeneaitoe | J EMPIRE DFCleague, and offering hishomel ily action Bi The Unicorn “Tintin taps into a spirit of adventure that we've all got inside us.” Peter Jackson Like any good parents, Bill and Josn Jackson ‘encouraged their son's new interest biking Peters Tintin collection, withthe youngster also ‘buying the books out of his“own money”. As he entered his teens, Jackson discovered fresh teat in the French section of the schol library, devouring the images of Tintin And The Picaros and The Blue Lotus without understanding the words Jackson never outgrew his passion off Kerouac, Peter would be por CCastaffore Emorald end Flight 714, and if ‘Tintin has never permeated his previous film ‘outings (Te been more influenced by Dawes (OF The Dead”), he is happy to rectify that now. “Tean still pick up the Tintin books and read thom and se things I've never Seen befor," he says. “They stil hold up, They do tap into something that is very fundamental: song of adventure that dorsn' age or date. Is one of the joys of being & filmmaker when you take a property that you've loved for years and years and bringit to lite,” “APITAL OF Blow, wad For those who are a) American or 6) had the kind of eulturally impoverished childhood that included watehing ITV, Tintin was the brainchild of Geonges Remi, the comic-book artist and writer known as Herge (the pon ‘name comes fom the French pronunciation)isrying forthe ire ime new BPE (performance capture, 3D), forging Prcaibwaimwnereerieer’ { — LiNtiN taps into a spirit of adventure that Be toproaching hie leagueyand offering Be icacinsrimscsn™” \ We'veall gotinside us.” Peter Jackson Nieves aoc ike ay goed pes, Bland oan Jckon thane tings Tener RAYACQISIALTOWN —xcerglini asnceincestciag” eeaelsting™ nes interest building sean before” he says “cyl Pars Tintin collection, with the youngster ako hold wp Thoy do tapinto something that Hey know his Tintin aficionados re buying the books out of his“own money" AS. Severyfundeneah sro ch that BA diinctemtegris Surting entered Ns tens Jackson dacoveredftth dows age or date Itsoneclthevoe of wong ie Tintinovice, you ean build up ‘meal in the French section of the school! library, filmmaker when you take « property that you've 4 Tintinophile, Tintinologist and ‘devouring the images of Tintin And The Picaros loved for years and years and | ‘bring it to life.” funilyoureach the highest state and The Bve Lotus without understaning Tintinoater. Wf Spslbenz became the words Iackson never outgrow hs pein, BRUSSELS, TLE CAPITAL OF By ttvty late Peter Jackson Whitestudents were inthe bar geting tagh ELGIUM, Bebe e400 Visiinga ands off Keroun, Peter wouldbeporingover The Yorthotevho ares) American ob) had the 5 howassiruck by acolection Castine Emerald and Flight 714,andi ‘kind of eltrally noord chaos AL tities that breathed the promise Tintin has never permeated his pres film ‘that included watching ITV, Tintin was the RR 2 tet o imagination ve been moreinfhuenced by Dawn brainchild of Georges Reta, the comic-book Pi 82 The Seoret OF The Unicorn, 2d"), hes happy to rectify that now. aris and writer known as Horgé (the pen Ta. Moon illpck up the Tintin books and read namie comes from the French prosuncetion vemplreonine corso ieee eeeKNOW, YOU! HERGE Joe rish ‘The Tintin co-scripter ‘eases inthe uninitiated ‘What's your first memory of Tintin? ‘The frst Tintin book | read Was Fight 714, when | was seven. Ienad everything: A nijackinat JA UFO! A boy hero with a gunt ft was the most excking thing fever reed, Me and my best fiend put on a puppet version of fOr fis mum, She liked it, but she Gisnpproved ofthe ikle Gans ‘we'd made for the puppets. ‘wnat is the best Tintin book fora newbie to start with? ‘The great thing about Tintin ‘you ean start anyeriere. PAUP Zone of the books, fi over end Gee which bit of cover art looks ost exciting, ane ve in ‘What isthe connolsseur’s ‘Tintin book of cholce? For the connoisseur. I'd recommend reading Harty ‘Trompsor's blogrephy of Hero [pictured below righ) etongside the books themselves tts structured with Chapter for each BOO, So i's designed thet ‘ay, its fascinating how ‘much the patties gn pop culture of Herbe's Tetime influenced nis ‘work, And how much ‘fis own experience terefiected in Tintins adventures. ‘Which is the weakest book inthe cotlest The very early books are 4 ‘bt dated In some rospects Herge’s Tintin canon, Aree eke “Senki! Haddocks Abit “Biase bore fio fingers Bk hr tl of RG — his initials reversed). Growing ovt of Srovions Hergé character ~ chubby Boy ‘Scout named Totor —the intrepid roportet souted in Tintin In The Land OF The Soviets sepatieed in the chikdcen's supplement of Belgas Ternashect Le XXe Sitte, on Jasuaty 10, 1929 PT Of The Soviets faunches « series of come ips collated into 23 bsteing albums 24 if you include Tintin And Alph Art finished ar Herpes death in 1983 tha, ike Spielberg’ anon, waversed genses ranging fro™ cane hucklng adventire fo Fantasies mysterio ‘Pott hls and sience-fesion. Spock, rete point Henge ever inked with a tale it aaah Tintin spends the eatie story trapped i (tn aisport (Tintin Br Le Terminal ‘Rarely leaving Belfi, Horgé ribbed the minutiae of Tintin’ exotic travels from TRotientous research, earning a reputation #8 anarmebair ver when wanted a tage to Business Cass he moved tothe aE esl wiht realised Tiawers Perit ya galery of memorable SUPP rope atke ntemperte captain He ? ‘good buzz Stateside, and the director New the any excuse. Tintin is the Bost thing to ‘come out of Belglum, what Ie the second-best? Enm..elther Magrite 0° The Smurts, Cam | have some thinking time? as THE RED SEA SNS Ege Crean) Subscribe at wwnwempreontne comb DECEMBER 2010 EMPIRE 77Barnaby (foe Star) coms to sr Tint aofienpendng danger Nive elie remembers Spielberg. "Then we went backstage together for Peter to do the pressroom. I spent slong time talking to Fran (Was, Jackson's vife end co-collabarator), getting to know he.” ‘The friendship stated to bond when, Impressed with Weta’s work on Gollum Spielberg contacted Jackson about the inga CO Snowy for If he wanted proof of what a big fan Juckson was, the clincher ‘came when, in the comfort of Amblin's towatch Weta’ test of Sno “Peter had put on Ca ostume and big beard and performed wi ‘he digital Snowy inthe test. Peter's good ctor Tove that he does stints in his own ‘movies. [don't have the courage todo that. Ta ota very good actor. I'm not anywhere neat as good as Peter. I would jst uifate myself tnd my fellow cast-mates So I don’t go there.” “I've gota hortible premonition that that will, ‘end up on @ DVD somewhere,” es Jackson. twould be gb to say thatthe classicism and derring-do of Spielberg (cay, Raiders) plus ‘the nutly energy and absurdity of Jackson (Braindead) equals Ferg Spielberg's back catalogues fled with inventive pratfalls just as The Lord OF The Rings with traditional beroism. Something fees right bout the two titans coming together on Tintin, collaboration built on similar backgrounds and shared sensibilities, Both men made precocious home movies as kid, fired up by Forrest Ackerman, Both worshipped Harryhausen, Hiteheock and Connery's Bond, Both are technical virtuosos with ‘an undorrated skill with actors. Hoth (lice Hergé) helped legitimise the unfashionable genres they mastered. Now both stand as the public pereption oftheirnational cinemas, Collaborating with a big-name director nothing new for Spielberg. His is obvio partnership with George Lucas isthe stuff of “Who is Tintin? Where are his parents? Why is his only friend a dog?” Jamie Bell ee Sd CaN) movie lore ("George and Ihave these completely eft arguments that kik up some dirt, but ‘somehow we wind upagrecing witheach other”), but that was friendship for at lest ton years before it became a profesional parcorship. This ‘yas two Oscar-winners getting to know each ‘other in the hothouse of making a movie. “Peter and offers Spielberg. “We jus literally worked together without ever giving a thought that [was ollaborating asa director with another director. [can't separate the creative shazing fon Tintin. Tsimply dont remember who had the idea that wound ap in The Volume” "There is no egos Jackson's tke. “Idon't cate my ideas are taker on board or not, sind Steven isthe same. The problems with collaboration, in my experiance, only occur When one of the parties is inseeure o hasan ‘ego. Thats what creates the problem, ad that’s not really trusof Steven or me” ‘After Spielberg had devided on per capture as an MO, he proposed a triptych of Tinting to be directed by Jackson, Robert Zemeckis and himself (Zemeckis dropped out after signing sn oxchusive deal with Disney). AS Jackson spent the first week in The ‘Volume bedding in the new technology. The rest ofthe time he would appear over iChat —°It would be five or six in the moraing or him’, 09‘Spi puns phe Vola Sith. Bes ee CN reroembers Bll, “so he would be there with {hiscoffec” — making story suggestions “thi thi film wil feo Tike something Peter ana Teolaborated on from the gt-t0,” says Spielberg "lee like this ismy film, veto anda, rg hake “sores he sort 29) nghtonger esa sven Wee | “wan ard The Wyte OF The Gli ect {984 ehov) ane Ten a The Bu Ceres {964 tp) athe based ner oTesankn pleased te culsitbe J ovat bth wer Fenced ae bot sted seta Joan Pee Tit As Tn, Nese aes closet canter erg acon. wt ard vou pant, bt theses have arash cho ‘on, fb ears, cheesy hreogiaty. Sram ram pst caring ou heh (Gotan Foc ste tet fh ‘Tintin and The Mystery OF The Golden Fleece and ‘Tintin And The Blue ranges are aut ‘nowon DVD:STEVEN SPIELBERG - PETER JACKSON Seas ee irs AND econ s NES Bes V3 FIRST LOOK AT ALL ~ THE CHARACTERS! Wh EMPIRE DEC 10 £9.08