Legendary New Zealand filmmaker Peter Jackson has announced his return to the director's chair for a sequel to the 2011 animated adventure, The Adventures of Tintin. This marks Jackson's first feature film directing role since the conclusion of his Hobbit trilogy in 2014, ending a 12-year hiatus from narrative features.
Jackson, 64, widely celebrated for helming the BAFTA and Oscar-winning Lord of the Rings trilogy, confirmed he has been working on the script with his long-time creative partner, Fran Walsh. Speaking to Gold Derby, Jackson revealed that the original intention was for him to direct the second Tintin film following Steven Spielberg's direction of the first, a plan that has taken over a decade to materialise.
The initial film, subtitled The Secret Of The Unicorn, was produced by Jackson and utilised groundbreaking 'performance capture' technology. It featured a star-studded voice cast including Jamie Bell as Tintin, Andy Serkis as Captain Haddock, and British comedy duo Simon Pegg and Nick Frost as Thomson and Thompson. While praised for its visual ingenuity and adventurous spirit, the film's animation style divided critics, with some noting the characters' expressive limitations despite their fidelity to Hergé's original drawings.
Since his last narrative feature, Jackson has focused on acclaimed documentary projects, including the powerful World War I film They Shall Not Grow Old (2018) and the comprehensive Beatles archival documentary, Get Back (2021). His return to the fictional world of Tintin, based on the beloved Belgian comic book series, signals a renewed focus on blockbuster storytelling.
The original The Adventures of Tintin is not currently available for free streaming in the UK as part of a subscription on major platforms like BBC iPlayer, ITVX, or Channel 4. However, it can be rented or purchased digitally on various platforms, including Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video, and Google Play, giving UK audiences the opportunity to revisit the first instalment ahead of the sequel.