A quickie today, as I’m trying my darnedest against the odds to bring you that Flushed Away review before the weekend, with just enough time to mention that Disney yesterday, at their annual shareholders meeting (this time held in New Orleans), has confirmed beyond doubt that The Frog Princess is in active production, as well as Toy Story 3, which will be made through their Pixar unit. John Lasseter, chief creative officer of Pixar and Disney Animation Studios, said, “We are finally in production on Toy Story 3, adding the film is scheduled to come out in 2010, with original voices Tom Hanks and Tim Allen back on board to voice Woody and Buzz.

When The Frog Princess was mentioned, to much applause, Lasseter stated that the film “takes place entirely in New Orleans” and will feature “the very first African American Disney princess” and a “soulful singing alligator”. As a special treat, Frog Princess composer Randy Newman, who spent his childhood in New Orleans, performed a song from his upcoming score. Interestingly, Lasseter also brought attention to Disney’s American Dog, under director Chris Williams, and now apparently about a dog with superpowers who suddenly realizes he is only a TV character and must learn to live in the real world.

In perhaps more exciting news, Herge Studios in Belgium has announced that DreamWorks will finally bring their boy detective hero Tintin to the live-action screen. The Studio’s Steven Spielberg has gone back and forth over the rights to the comic album series since the early 1980s, and it’s said that he’ll produce the film through his Amblin banner. Spielberg first optioned Georges Remi’s journalist/adventurer character just before the creator died in 1983, but negotiations broke down when Remi, whose initials run backwards gave him his pen name, found out that the director may not have been the one to actually helm the movies. In the past, a trilogy has been mooted, though its unclear if that is the plan now; but with 23 stories, there’s certainly enough material to sustain a popular series.

Tintin has previously been portrayed in animation of course, in a series of animated features, an episodic TV version and Nelvana’s early 1990s half-hour blocks, but he’s popped up in live-action before too, though those couple of movies filmed in the 1960s are perhaps best left forgotten. Personally, I can’t wait. My Dad was a huge fan of these stories and the strips and was actually quite worried back in the 80s at what Hollywood might do to his boyhood hero. With filmmaking much more international now, and a general attempt to “get things right”, I have no doubt that Spielberg, a lifelong fan himself, is the right man to steer Tintin through his latest and greatest adventure. And if they need a director…I’m only an email away!

Lastly today, a brief site addition: another archive review, this time for the excellent 1930s serial spoof Rex Steele – Nazi Smasher: Limited Edition. I’ll be back soon with that Flushed Away review, and a surprise for those who haven’t yet picked up this terrific little movie!

– Ben.