Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson have joined Sony and Paramount to work on the movie series, Tintin.  The movies are based on Tintin comics, created by Belgian artist, George Remi, a.k.a. Herge.  Tintin is a young Belgian reporter who solves mysteries with the help of his faithful dog and companion, Snowy.

The collaboration comes after Universal dropped the project in September, calling it “too risky.” Universal reportedly balked when Spielberg and Jackson demanded one third of the movies’ total gross sales. 

Under the new deal, Spielberg and Jackson will each direct a movie in the series, with Paramount distributing them across North America and other English-speaking territories.  Sony will be in charge of distribution to international regions including Europe and Latin America. 

The planned trilogy may be cut down to two films, pending finalizing details of the venture. But Sony and Paramount have agreed to front the $135-million budget for the films. The first movie is scheduled for release in 2010.

—Jessica Delli Santi