Cast of Tintin film "Secret of the Unicorn" announced

After all these months (or years, if you're a slightly older chap/chapette) there are finally some concrete details on the trilogy of Tintin adventures coming to the big screen.

The Times tells us today in a piece on The Times Online that the all-star cast will include Mr Bond himself, Daniel Craig, Middle Earth's most weird-talking minion Gollum, Andy Serkis, and as the jolly ginger journalist himself...

The boy from Billy Elliot: Jamie Bell.

Also said to appear are Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, as bowler hat-wearing detectives Thompson and Thompson, which is interesting when you consider a comment on the story made by Mark from Woking:

"They gave Simon Pegg, the guy who is the spitting image of Tintin, the part of one of the Thomson detectives...?!?! "

Of course, since it's a CGI animation, you won't be too confused by Pegg's ginger-ness (even if it would be concealed below a hat) but he is clearly a man you think of when you think of ginger stereotypes.

Directing duties go to the on-again/off-again film-making wizard Steven Spielberg, who's teamed up with Lord of The Rings helmsman Peter Jackson to make "up to three films" starring the plucky young Belgian.

Aparently there are even a few new characters, such as Tintin's (seemingly nameless) Editor, who surely should be played by a ruffled Steven Fry (in a mash of the mild-mannered QI host and spagetti-brained General Melchett), since the poor man received only one story from Tintin throught the entire 24 story series.

The real question though, is: will it work?

We all have some knowledge of Tintin, even if it's just "Isn't that the ginger Belgian fellow?", but can this largely Brit cast directed by Americans do justice to a franchise which is as close to bizarre adventure as Indiana Jones? (which Spielberg also directed let's not forget)

Being animation, there's infinitely more possibilities to what can be done, but it's not that which will be the problem, it's what can be done 'convincingly'.

Either the film will take itself seriously and go for action, suspense with a slice of comic relief (what else are Pegg and Frost going to be for?) or they take things with a pinch of salt, be true to the character but stray from the well-established story and before you know it there's aliens and flying monkeys everywhere...sound familiar?

That said, it is early days, and despite being a bit of a fan myself (you really don't have to look far to find me with my branded tshirt and messenger bag...) we should definitely give it some time to take shape for we form too many pre-conceptions, but probably the most important thing for the team to remember is:

It just wouldn't be Tintin without Snowy.