I was in the press tent when Peter Jackson admitted he’d been writing a new Tintin script in his hotel room. You could sense the small, awkward promise: Spielberg had directed the first and Jackson had promised to direct the second. For a moment it felt like digging up an old chest in the attic.
Peter Jackson reveals at #Cannes that he is working on a new “Adventures of Tintin” movie.
He’s currently writing the script and plans to direct the movie himself. He was working on the screenplay while attending the festival. pic.twitter.com/mZx805loib
— Variety (@Variety) May 13, 2026
At Cannes, cameras and gossip were everywhere — What Jackson actually said
I listened as Jackson told reporters he and Fran Walsh are rewriting, and that he was literally drafting pages in his hotel. He sounded both excited and apologetic: Spielberg directed the 2011 film, and Jackson admitted he’d left fans waiting for his promised follow-up. That confession matters not because of nostalgia but because of commitment.
Is Peter Jackson directing a new Tintin movie?
Yes. Jackson said he plans to direct and that he’s actively writing the screenplay with Fran Walsh. You heard it at Cannes and read it in Variety: he called it “an active real thing.”
On set economics and past performance — Why box office still matters
Spielberg’s first Tintin made roughly $374 million (€348 million) worldwide against rumored production spending near $135 million (€126 million). That return was healthy but not a runaway hit in studio terms, which explains why a sequel never moved straight into preproduction.
Still, the cost of performance-capture and high-end animation has shifted: Weta Digital and other vendors have refined pipelines, and studios like Amblin and distributors watch render farms the way traders watch markets. Production is less of an obstacle than it used to be.
When will Tintin 2 be released?
There’s no release date yet. Jackson is writing; nobody has scheduled a shoot. He’s not tied to the next slot on his calendar — he’s producing two Lord of the Rings movies — so the timetable will depend on when a script, budget, and a financing partner line up.
At ground level, technology is the quiet enabler — How the craft has changed
If you follow Weta’s work or check the credits on motion-capture-heavy films, you can see the gains: faster renders, better facial capture, and more realistic hair and cloth sims. Those tools make a return to Hergé’s clean-lined world both easier and riskier: the more lifelike the tech, the more opinions audiences bring.
Jackson will need to balance fidelity to Hergé with whatever language of motion-capture he chooses. You’ll want performance that feels human, not uncanny.
In the industry corridors, a promise still counts — What Jackson owes fans and Spielberg
We remember the public deal: Spielberg directs one, Jackson directs the next. Jackson said he feels “awkward” about the delay. I’ve covered enough festivals to know that guilt within creative partnerships can be a motivator as much as a confession.
If Jackson and Walsh finish a script that excites Amblin, Weta Digital, or a streaming studio, the hesitation that followed the first film’s middling returns could evaporate. The right script will turn a stalled idea into a greenlight.
At heart, this is about storytelling and stewardship — Why you should care
Fans of the comics want a faithful adaptation; studios want a scalable franchise. Jackson sits between those needs with an Oscar and a proven toolbox. I trust his instincts because he’s handled Tolkien’s weight and lighter, exploratory projects alike.
What will decide this sequel is not nostalgia alone but whether Jackson can write a story that convinces financiers and an audience to commit.
Working on a second Tintin now feels less like a resurrection and more like tuning a vintage radio—one careful adjustment and the signal could come through clear, loud, and very much in demand. If Jackson finishes the script and a studio signs on, we could see him back in the director’s chair; if not, this might remain a tantalizing footnote in festival coverage.
Are you ready to argue whether Jackson should place Tintin next to his Middle-earth films or keep it as a separate, singular experiment?