Studio says no to Steven Spielberg, Peter Jackson
Squeezed by rising costs and leveling revenues, Universal Pictures declines to finance 'Tintin.' Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson don't hear "no" very often.

Universal Passes On Making Spielberg's and Jackson's Tintin Trilogy
LA Times have an article that states Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson’s plans for their Tintin trilogy might be in jeopardy, after Universal passed on funding the movies. Some highlights from article below: Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson don't hear "no" very often. But after they submitted a final budget of $130 million for their 3-D animated movie "Tintin," based on the Belgian comic strip, to Universal Pictures, the studio balked. The decision has left the two powerful filmmakers scrambling

Paramount Rebuffs Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg used to be the most bankable director in Hollywood. But now that that he's locked in combat with Paramount's Brad Grey, he'?s having trouble getting his next big movie made. For more than 25 years, Spielberg has contemplated movie based on Tintin, the classic European comic series about the adventures of a young reporter. Spielberg and producer Kathleen Kennedy have intermittently held the rights to property. Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson is also been a fan of the character.

Universal Tells Spielberg 'No' on Financing Tintin
Back in August we wrote that there seemed to be some confusion over who would be directing the long-in-the-works Tintin - Steven Spielberg or Peter Jackson. A recent article in the LA Times reinforces what most have thought for a while - that Spielberg would direct the first film of the three films, while Jackson the second - but brings up a much larger concern for the duo and the project. Reportedly, Universal has backed out of co-financing the production with Paramount, rejecting the $130 million budget.

Universal Pulls Out of ‘Tintin’
Universal Logo Nikki Finke writes: I just heard that Universal has declined to exercise an option to co-finance DreamWorks’ Tintin with Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson set to begin filming in October. The decision was quietly made a few weeks ago. So now DreamWorks will look only to owner Paramount for the rest of the moolah in the same way the two shared financing on Dreamgirls and Transformers. Unfortunately, Paramount is presently without an overall financing deal to mitigate risk, but is arrang

Tintin Panned
According to new reports, Universal pulled out of its Tintin movie partnership with uber film directors Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson. The studio supposedly freaked when it was presented with a $130 million budget. The duo are said to be scrambling to find a new partner. Is a Tintin movie worth a $130 million budget?! [Image via WENN.] Read the Full Article « Misprint In Phone Book Leads Democratic Callers For Phone Sex Chat Jerry’s Gun-Toting Case Dismissed »

Tintin Panned
According to new reports, Universal pulled out of its Tintin movie partnership with uber film directors Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson. The studio supposedly freaked when it was presented with a $130 million budget. The duo are said to be scrambling to find a new partner. Is a Tintin movie worth a $130 million budget?! [Image via WENN.] Link to original article here. Back to celebrity gossip html .fb_share_link { padding:2px 0 0 20px; height:16px; background:url(http://s

Tintin loses studio
Universal studio have declined an option to co-finance Tintin according to reports, leaving the film with DreamWorks and Paramount sitting with the film with Paramount as the sole money provider. It's a strange decision considering how popular Tintin is without a film and that both Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson are making the films. Guaranteed money maker doesn't even begin to describe it. The report came out that Universal withdrew from the film just a little while ag

Universal deems Tintin movie too expensive - report
Universal Pictures has recoiled at the cost of the 3-D animated movie adaptation of the adventures of Tintin by two of Hollywood's top directors, Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson, the Los Angeles Times reported Friday. The two legendary directors submitted to Universal a 130 million dollar budget to produce a trilogy of films based on the beloved Belgian comic-strip boy reporter. But Universal refused to green light the project, and production, scheduled to begin in October, is

Steven Spielberg - Spielberg Jackson Cant Get Budget Ok For Tintin
With studios finding it especially difficult during the current financial storm to find funding for their pictures, Universal Pictures has rejected a film submitted to it ...

Steven Spielberg - Spielberg Jackson Cant Get Budget Ok For Tintin
With studios finding it especially difficult during the current financial storm to find funding for their pictures, Universal Pictures has rejected a film submitted to it ...

Steven Spielberg - Spielberg Jackson Cant Get Budget Ok For Tintin
With studios finding it especially difficult during the current financial storm to find funding for their pictures, Universal Pictures has rejected a film submitted to it ...

Dreamworks Team and Reliance Finally Complete Deal, at Least According to Paramount
Paramount Pictures executives congratulated Steven Spielberg, David Geffen and Stacey Snider on having announced completion of their deal to leave the studio and form a new entertainment company — though no such announcement had yet been made. The go-round followed a report on The Wall Street Journal’s Web site saying that the three DreamWorks executives had finally finished their long-anticipated deal to start a new company with backing from Reliance Big Entertainment of India. If Paramou

Dreamworks Team and Reliance Finally Complete Deal, at Least According to Paramount
Paramount Pictures executives congratulated Steven Spielberg, David Geffen and Stacey Snider on having announced completion of their deal to leave the studio and form a new entertainment company — though no such announcement had yet been made. The go-round followed a report on The Wall Street Journal’s Web site saying that the three DreamWorks executives had finally finished their long-anticipated deal to start a new company with backing from Reliance Big Entertainment of India. If Paramou

Spielberg, Paramount Ankle Each Other
So it turns out Steven Spielberg and Paramount don't need each other after all! Variety brings word of a new deal for DreamWorks:DreamWorks has finally closed the deal with India-based Reliance to leave Paramount Pictures and create a stand-alone production company. DreamWorks principals Steven Spielberg, David Geffen and Stacey Snider are severing ties with the Melrose studio. Though the deal, valued anywhere between $500 million and $1.2 billion, has been anticipated for some time, what had been unclear

Economic Downturn Takes Toll on Tintin Men Spielberg, Jackson
Maybe the Fed will step in to help bail out Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson. The Oscar winners are scrambling to find a new backer for their dream franchise Tintin after Universal...

Anil Ambani group, Spielberg to set up $1.5 billion studio (Second Lead)
New York, Sep 20 (IANS) India’s Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group and celebrated filmmaker Steven Spielberg are setting up a new studio in Los Angeles under a $1.5-billion project that will make films for global audiences, sources familiar with the negotiations said Saturday.The mega deal - which will help Spielberg break away from DreamWorks, now owned by Viacom’s Paramount Pictures - will be funded by a mix of equity and debt, and also involve leading investment banker JP Morgan Chase, the

DreamWorks/Paramount Split
DreamWorks has finalized its deal with Indian company Reliance and will now officially break off from Paramount Pictures to create its own stand-alone production company. Variety reports that DreamWorks head honchos Steven Spielberg, David Geffen, and Stacey Snider are parting ways with Paramount in a deal that has been expected for some time by industry watchers. DreamWorks' execs were in fact contractually obligated to stay at Paramount despite the deal, but in a surprise move Paramount has released

NYT | Paramount Gives DreamWorks Team Early Farewell
"Paramount Pictures executives on Friday publicly congratulated Steven Spielberg, David Geffe and Stacey Snider on having announced the completion of their deal to leave the studio and form a new entertainment company — though no such announcement had yet been made," the New York Times reported.   [permalink]   [ filed under Biz ] September 19, 2008 iW NEWS | Oscilloscope Makes Oct. 31st Date for "Dear Zachary" Documentary cove

Universal drop TINTIN
Has the current financial climate forced Universal, a major Hollywood studio to balk at the idea of financing a movie trilogy from Peter Jackson and Steven Spielberg based on the insanely popular TINTIN franchise? The Associated Press say the studio don’t wish to give up $65 million for the three 3-D animated pictures and as we have heard before, production which was to begin very soon has now been halted indefinitely. It’s also a case of really bad timing for Spielberg who had agreed a deal

TOLDJA! Press Suddenly Discovers 'Tintin' Story
I broke this news last Monday. Quick, someone tell the Los Angeles Times and Radar. And Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson have a lot of other places to ask for the money (they've just talked to Walden Media) now that Universal has passed and Paramount is balking. I doubt this is the setback for the directors' careers others think it is.

Universal Pictures backs away from funding Tintin movie
Hollywood movie studio Universal has backed away from funding a planned animated movie of Belgian comic 'Tintin' which was to be produced by Peter Jackson and Steven Spielberg. Universal, which had an option to co-finance the picture, decided the $NZ197 million budget was too high, the Los Angeles Times reported. "Tintin" would have had to make $US425m in ticket sales before the studios could break even, sources said. Under the proposal, Spielberg and Jackson would take about 30 percent of the stud

Jackson and Del Toro to Write ‘The Hobbit’
Given my disposition towards adaptations from books to movies, and my loathing for Peter Jackson as a result, this latest news isn’t necessarily sending me off the high diving board of happiness. Nevertheless, it has been announced that executive producer Jackson and director Guillermo del Toro have announced that they will be writing The Hobbit. Jackson was part of the writing team for The Lord of the Rings trilogy, along with his wife Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens, both of whom have also signed on to

Peter Jackson to produce short WW1 film
CANBERRA - Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson is to produce a new sound and light show on World War I aviation for the Australian War Memorial. Jackson, who won three Academy Awards for the film trilogy, will produce a 10-minute big-screen extravaganza to help visitors experience the risks, action and drama of First World War aerial battles. “It is very exciting for the memorial to have Peter Jackson involved in the creation of the multimedia for Over the Front,” assistant director for pub