Early Controversy For Spielberg/Jackson's Tintin?

Two months after Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson signed on to direct and produce three back-to-back features based on Georges Remi's Belgian comic-strip hero Tintin for DreamWorks, the beloved kids' series is taking some heat over what some are perceiving as racist content.

Tintin in the Congo was removed from from the children's section of Borders in Britain and will reportedly get the same treatment here in the United States (it will be placed in the adult graphic novels section). However, other Tintin titles will remain in the children's section.

The series following the adventures of Tintin, a young reporter, and his dog Snowy. The series has sold 220 million copies worldwide and has been translated in 77 languages. Tintin in the Congo, published in 1931, is the second in a series of 23 books and has long been criticized for its colonial and racist views. From the Toronto Star:

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers is publishing the book in the U.S. in September, one of many Tintin works being reissued to mark the centennial of author-cartoonist Herge, the pen name of Georges Remi.

"This particular title, one of three originally unpublished in the U.S., may be considered somewhat controversial, as it reflects the colonial attitudes of the time it was created," reads a statement on Little Brown's Web site. "Herge depicts African people according to the stereotypes of the time period, but in this edition it will be contextualized for the reader in an explanatory preface.''

Tintin potentially represents a huge financial commitment for DreamWorks and has long been a passion project for Spielberg, who has held various film rights to the property over the past 25 years. The films (Spielberg and Jackson will share directing and producing duties) will be made in 3-D and shot at Jackson's WETA studios.

[PA Photos /Landov]