Peter Jackson Says He's Writing the 'Tintin' Sequel He Promised a Decade Ago

Another Promise for Professor Calculus

Peter Jackson is once again working on a sequel to 'The Adventures of Tintin'. The director confirmed in recent interviews that he has returned to the script for the long-promised follow-up to the 2011 motion-capture film, a project that has become one of Hollywood's most famous examples of development stasis. For over a decade, Jackson, who produced the first film with the intention of directing the second, has periodically reaffirmed his commitment. This latest statement, however, comes after a lengthy period focused on documentary work, raising familiar questions about whether this time, the project will finally move from script to screen.

The plan, as originally conceived by Jackson and Steven Spielberg, was a creative handover. Spielberg directed the first installment, 'The Adventures of Tintin', with Jackson's Weta Digital handling the groundbreaking animation. Jackson was then slated to take the director's chair for the sequel, creating a collaborative franchise between two of cinema's most successful filmmakers. That baton pass, however, never quite happened. Instead, the 'Tintin' sequel became a casualty of Jackson’s monumental return to Middle-earth.

A Decade on the Back Burner

The primary cause for the sequel's initial, multi-year delay was Jackson’s commitment to 'The Hobbit' trilogy. What was originally planned as a two-film prequel to 'The Lord of the Rings' expanded into a trio of movies that consumed Jackson and his New Zealand-based production company from 2011 to 2014. During that period, Jackson consistently maintained that 'Tintin' was next on his list once his obligations to Warner Bros. were fulfilled. In a 2013 interview, Spielberg himself expressed hope that the sequel could be in motion by 2015.

That deadline, like several others, passed without incident. After completing 'The Hobbit', Jackson’s focus shifted not to another massive blockbuster, but to more personal and technically experimental documentary projects. He directed the acclaimed World War I documentary 'They Shall Not Grow Old' (2018) and the exhaustive docuseries 'The Beatles: Get Back' (2021) for Disney+. While these projects earned him accolades, they also consumed years of his schedule, pushing the animated adventure further down his list of priorities. Throughout this period, cast members like Andy Serkis, who voiced Captain Haddock, have regularly been asked about the sequel, consistently expressing enthusiasm and hope that the team would eventually reunite.

The Mixed Legacy of the First Film

Revisiting the sequel requires acknowledging the unique box office performance of the original. According to Box Office Mojo, 'The Adventures of Tintin' was a substantial international success, earning $296.4 million in overseas markets where the Hergé comic books are a cultural institution. Domestically, however, the film posted a far more modest $77.6 million. With a reported budget of $135 million, its worldwide gross of $374 million made it profitable, but its soft performance in North America likely tempered studio enthusiasm for a rapid follow-up. The film was a co-production between Paramount Pictures and Sony Pictures, complicating the financial calculus for a sequel.

Critically, the film was a success, winning the Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature Film and scoring a 74% on Rotten Tomatoes. The visual style, which sought to translate Hergé’s 'ligne claire' art into a photorealistic but stylized 3D world, was widely praised for its technical virtuosity. Yet for some audiences, the performance-capture technology landed in the uncanny valley, creating a barrier to emotional connection. It remains a singular achievement, a film whose artistry is undeniable but whose commercial appeal proved more niche than its creators might have hoped, particularly in the vital U.S. market.

Adapting 'Prisoners of the Sun'

Should Jackson's script move forward, the source material is well established. The first film cleverly wove together threads from three different 'Tintin' stories: 'The Crab with the Golden Claws', 'The Secret of the Unicorn', and 'Red Rackham's Treasure'. For the sequel, Jackson and Spielberg have long signaled their intention to adapt the popular two-part saga comprising 'The Seven Crystal Balls' and 'Prisoners of the Sun'. This storyline sends Tintin and Captain Haddock on a journey from Europe to Peru to rescue their friend, Professor Calculus, from a mysterious curse tied to an ancient Incan tomb.

The narrative offers a compelling blend of mystery, adventure, and even supernatural elements, making it a natural fit for a cinematic adventure. It introduces new locations and a larger sense of scale that could leverage the strengths of Weta's digital world-building. The original script for the first film was penned by a powerhouse team of Steven Moffat, Edgar Wright, and Joe Cornish. It is unclear if Jackson is writing the new script solo or collaborating with a new team, a key detail that will shape the final product.

Can It Escape Development Limbo?

The biggest hurdle for a 'Tintin' sequel today may not be Jackson’s schedule but the shifting priorities of the studios that would finance it. In 2011, a $135 million swing on a performance-capture film from Spielberg and Jackson was a calculated risk. In today's landscape, where both Paramount and Sony are navigating different strategies in the streaming wars, the proposition is more complex. Studios are prioritizing easily marketable, franchise-ready IP. While 'Tintin' is a known property, its decade-old predecessor failed to ignite a franchise fervor, especially stateside.

Ultimately, the project's fate rests entirely on Peter Jackson. He has reached a stage in his career where he operates largely outside the traditional studio system, pursuing projects that capture his personal and technical interests. This autonomy allows him the freedom to develop a passion project like 'Get Back' for years, but it also means there is little external pressure to force 'Tintin' to the front of the queue. For now, the boy reporter’s next adventure remains where it has been for the last decade: a promising idea on a filmmaker's desk, waiting for its moment to finally be chosen.