If you’ve yet to hear, Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson are directing a trilogy based on the popular Tintin character. Spielberg is directing one, then Jackson will direct, and then they may co-direct the third or maybe even find someone new to do the honors. The movies will be shot using motion-capture technology and they will be released in the booming 3-D format. The first movie in the trilogy is happily titled The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn.

U.S. distributor Paramount Pictures and international distributor Sony Pictures have officially announced that Secret of the Unicorn will be released on December 23, 2011 in the U.S., with the movie opening in late October and early November of 2011 internationally.

The Adventures of Tintin follows a determined young reporter who stops at nothing to get his story, a trait that sees him always in wild predicaments and encounters. The movie stars Jamie Bell as Tintin, Daniel Craig as Red Rackham, Simon Pegg and Nick Frost as Thompson and Thomson, and Andy Serkis.

For those who are uninformed, Paul is a new movie from director Greg Motolla (Superbad and Adventureland) which stars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz fame. The movie follows two super-geeks on a road trip to Comic Con, and a side-trip to Area 51 afterwards, which sees them finding a little alien named Paul who asks them to help him escape the government and get to his home planet.

If that wasn’t already the greatest thing ever, the supporting cast has been announced and it is pleasantly awesome. Joining Pegg and Frost will be: Seth Rogen, Jason Bateman, Bill Hader, and Kristen Wiig. Rogen is the main casting here, as he will be voicing the title character Paul — who is said to have a fairly filthy mouth in this expected R-rated comedy. No specific word on who the others will be playing, but they will surely add some humor along this comedic adventure.

One movie that isn’t very far along but is on a lot of people’s movie-radar is Paul. The only thing we ever really knew about Paul was that the movie would include one of the best on-screen duos working today in Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz). Also, that this movie would not be directed by their normal captain Edgar Wright (though he will be executive producing), but by Superbad and Adventureland director Greg Motolla.

What we do know about the movie is that it sounds like one of those perfect geek fests in which two slackers head to Area 51 after Comic Con and find themselves an alien who needs their help to get home. With that everyone is sold, nothing else needs to be said, but now we’re learning a lot more about what’s going into the project.

After it was rumored for so long, it has now been officially announced that the unfailing team of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost (Hot Fuzz) will play Thomson & Thompson in the three-movie Tintin project from Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson.

The casting is interesting, as the twin characters are only identifiable by their mustaches. This is something hard to imagine with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, who couldn’t look more different than one another; it’s part of their appeal… a modern day, British Laurel and Hardy, if you will. Maybe Frost lost a lot of weight for the role? Who knows! I’m sure they have some great, comical ideas in mind to make it all work.

The trilogy will be in full stylistic 3D motion-capture form, a la The Polar Express and Beowulf. Spielberg will handle the first movie’s directing duties, Jackson will do the second, and one or the other or both will do the final film. Also starring is Jackson’s favorite motion-capture workhorse Andy Serkis, who will be playing Captain Haddock.