Ehren Kruger, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci are reported to be the writing team for Transformers 2: Electric Boogaloo.  Returning to the flick are, as expected, Michael Bay, Shia LaBeouf, producers Tom DeSanto, Lorenzo di Bonaventura, and Don Murphy, as well as executive producer Steven spielberg.

The teaming of A-listers to write such a huge project might be an industry first and could have been necessary because Kurtzman and Orci — who wrote the $315 million-grossing first “Transformers” movie — also are busy writing J.J. Abrams’ “Star Trek” movie for Paramount and producing “Eagle Eye” for DreamWorks.

So how much does it cost to hire a writing team who turned Transformers into a $315 million grossing flick?  Somewhere in the neighborhood of $5 million to $7 million.  Wow, and who says writers need to strike?  With a paycheck that big, the three better write fast if they are indeed expected to strike with the rest of the Writer’s Guild of America.

via Hollywood Reporter

Hollywood Reporting is saying Steven Moffat of Dr. Who fame is writing the adaptation of Tintin for Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson.

Kathleen Kennedy is serving as producer on the three feature films, which will be made using performance-capture technology and produced in digital 3-D. Jackson and Spielberg are each directing an installment, with the helmer of the third movie to be determined.

There’s no word what stories are going to be adapted into the three films, but my guess is we won’t be seeing Tintin in the Congo.
via Hollywood Reporter

Variety is reporting Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson are teaming up to bring Tintin to the big screen. Speculation on the success of the first film is so high, DreamWorks, Spielberg, and Jackson will be directing and producing three back to back features.

Spielberg and Jackson will each direct one of the movies, but no word on who the third director would be. Could it be long time Spielberg friend George Lucas?

With WETA Digital behind the character creations, these films will be 3D animated features instead of trying to cast actors in the roles.

Jackson said WETA will stay true to Remi’s original designs in bringing the cast of Tintin to life, but that the characters won’t look cartoonish.

“Instead,” Jackson said, “we’re making them look photorealistic; the fibers of their clothing, the pores of their skin and each individual hair. They look exactly like real people — but real Herge people!”

Photorealistc 3D Tintin? Sounds like an interesting take. There is no word on when the first film will be released, but since Spielberg and Jackson will be wrapping their current productions by the end of this year.

via Variety

Steven Spielberg commented to attendees at a lunch gala he still has plans to bring the French adventurer to the screen.

As for Tintin, Spielberg recalled that he had first acquired the rights to that character back in 1983 and later re-established the option to do something with the French comic character.

via Variety (link)