Tintin and the Cave of Weta

Amid a mixed reception for Peter Jackson’s new Hobbit film format, Universal Pictures, Weta and SkyCity will this weekend celebrate the New Zealand Blu-ray launch of The Adventures of Tintin at Weta Cave events in Wellington and Auckland.

Tintin was released today on disc and should be one of the year’s biggest sellers given the Peter Jackson connection, its broad, family appeal, and its success at the NZ box office, where it was the summer’s biggest hit.

Even in the US, where it grossed less than half of its global box office, Tintin topped sales in its first week (with Blu-ray accounting for 50% of these).

Its disc debut here coincided with the world’s exhibitors getting their first glimpse of Jackson’s The Hobbit, when 10 minutes of footage was show at CinemaCon in Las Vegas.

Jackson is shooting the Lord of the Rings prequel at 48 frames per second rather than the 24 fps standard because he believes it enhances realism and makes 3D viewing more comfortable.

But Deadline reports mixed reviews for the process, quoting delegates as saying the footage was “kinda cold” and “seems a little like the look of a soap opera”.

Meanwhile, two of the Weta artists who worked on Tintin’s animation, visual effects and conceptual design will be doing signings this weekend.

They are lead conceptual artist Chris Guise, who appears in the disc’s making-of extras discussing the creation of the collectible figurines of characters, and animation supervisor Jamie Beard.

There also will be specials on Tintin merchandise and colouring-in for the kids, with the chance to win prizes.

• Wellington Weta Cave, Miramar: Saturday, 2pm-4pm.
• Auckland Weta Cave, Sky Tower: Sunday, 12pm-2pm.