Neill Blomkamp and Peter Jackson getting a new flick off the ground called DISTRICT 9, plus some TINTIN rumors...

Ahoy, squirts! Quint here with a few Peter Jackson tidbits for you good folks out there. Firstly, the trades are reporting this morning that Jackson will be producing a flick called DISTRICT 9 for Neill Blomkamp to direct, which would lend credence to the rumors that they're not getting ready to launch HALO afterall. DISTRICT 9 is an original tale penned by Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell, a big sci-fi actioneer. There was talk of Blomkamp doing a live action version of his original short ALIVE IN JOBURG, so I can't help but wonder if DISTRICT 9 folds the events/setting of ALIVE IN JOBURG into a bigger story. Blomkamp will shoot in South Africa, just as he did JOBURG, so maybe so? Also of note is a rumor that hit TheOneRing.net that claims casting is underway in LA for TINTIN. I'm a little dubious because I'm pretty sure Jackson would be pretty seriously involved in the casting of TINTIN and I know at the moment he's directing THE LOVELY BONES in Philly, so that doesn't leave much time to cast in LA, even with the wonders of modern technology. TINTIN's a weird project, though, so it's possible the casting is going to be different, too. The TORN article also mentions that Spielberg will be shooting his TINTIN flick in LA, which doesn't jibe with what he told us at that little INDIANA JONES 4 mini-visit thing I did last month. He said then that he would be in Wellington shooting with Jackson, both sitting in on each others' shoot. Curious, but interesting nonetheless. Busy times for Mr. Jackson.