Tintin 2: Peter Jackson confirms next film after Lord of the Rings

Peter Jackson's next film has been confirmed: The director plans to shoot the sequel to the computer-animated movie "The Adventures of Tintin" (also known as "The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn"). The filmmaker confirmed this at the Sitges Film Festival, as reported by ScreenRant. According to the website, Jackson stated:

"We've [...] already written the script for 'Tintin 2', the second Tintin film. That will be the next film I make."

Just a few months ago, Jackson said he was working on the screenplay together with Fran Walsh. The two had also collaborated on the screenplays for the "Lord of the Rings" films. He told IndieWire, however, that the draft would first be reviewed by Steven Spielberg. For the first "Tintin" film, Spielberg directed, while Jackson served as producer. For the sequel, the two filmmakers plan to switch roles. This makes "The Adventures of Tintin 2" the first feature film since 2014's "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies" in which Jackson will once again serve as director.

Famous comic book source material

The first "Tintin" film was released in 2011 and tells the story of how the eponymous reporter Tintin, along with his dog Snowy and Captain Haddock, searches for the treasure of a ship named the Unicorn. The star-studded cast of the motion-capture film included Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, Daniel Craig, Nick Frost, Simon Pegg, and Toby Jones. Steven Spielberg not only directed the film but also served as a producer alongside Peter Jackson and Kathleen Kennedy. Steven Moffat, Edgar Wright, and Joe Cornish wrote the screenplay.

The film was based on the world-famous "Tintin" comics by Belgian artist Hergé, which have been in existence since 1929 and are among the most famous comic series of the 20th century. Worldwide, the U.S. film adaptation "The Adventures of Tintin" grossed $373 million. The majority of that revenue ($296 million) was generated at the box office outside the U.S. – which can certainly be seen as proof of the material's international appeal.

Update on The Lord of the Rings

It remains to be seen when "Tintin 2," the next film adaptation, will hit theaters. In any case, Peter Jackson is currently still involved with the "Lord of the Rings" universe as a producer. For now, fans can look forward to "The Hunt for Gollum," which is set to hit theaters on December 17, 2027. In addition, work is underway on another fantasy adventure set in Middle-earth titled "Shadow of the Past." At the Sitges Film Festival, Jackson provided a brief update on both films. According to ScreenRant, he said:

"We have 'The Shadow of the Past', which is in the scriptwriting stage. 'The Hunt for Gollum' is almost finished filming. I think there are about two weeks of shooting left."

Andy Serkis is directing "The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum." The filmmaker is also once again playing the role of Gollum. Alongside Serkis, several other stars from Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy are returning, including Elijah Wood as Frodo and Ian McKellen as Gandalf. However, Aragorn will not be played by Viggo Mortensen this time – Jamie Dornan has taken over the role. Leo Woodall had previously been considered as a replacement – but as we now know, the actor will instead portray Halvard. Also joining the cast are Kate Winslet, who will take on the role of Marigol, and Anya Taylor-Joy as Seren. In terms of plot, "The Hunt for Gollum" is intended to complement the events from Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" film "The Fellowship of the Ring." The first official set photos were released just recently, as KinoCheck reported.

"Shadow of the Past," in turn, is based on an idea by Stephen Colbert. The famous TV host drew inspiration from six chapters of the first "Lord of the Rings" book, "The Fellowship of the Ring." Fourteen years after Frodo's passing, Sam, Merry, and Pippin set out to retrace the first steps of their adventure. Meanwhile, Sam's daughter Elanor discovers a long-kept secret. She tries to find out why the War of the Ring was nearly lost before it had even begun. It is not yet clear when "Shadow of the Past" will hit theaters.