Peter Jackson Will Direct 'Tintin' Sequel After 'The Hobbit' Is Finished

"The Adventures of Tintin" is still a few weeks away from its release here in the United States, but it's already hitting theaters today in several lucky countries abroad including France, Belgium, Denmark and the United Kingdom.

Reviews have been pouring in already, and the word on director Steven Spielberg and producer Peter Jackson's adaptation of the beloved Hergé-penned stories is good. Very, very good. So good, in fact, that Spielberg and Jackson are already thinking about where to take "Tintin" next.

Heck, it's not even so much that they're thinking about future steps — they're already in position for a "Tintin" sequel. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter (via Slash Film), Jackson confirmed that he'll direct the next "Tintin" movie once he's finished working on "The Hobbit," his two-part prequel to "The Lord of the Rings."

"[Sony and Paramount] were willing to do one movie with us and then give us the financial wherewithal to develop a script, do all the visual storyboards and get it really in launch position," added Spielberg. "So we can launch pretty quickly on a second movie. The script is already written."

Indeed it is: Anthony Horowitz has already penned a sequel, based on the "Tintin" stories "The Seven Crystal Balls" and "Prisoners of the Sun." Keep an eye on that foreign box office, and make sure to head to your local theaters promptly on December 21, 2011, if you want that second "Tintin" movie to take flight.

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