Paramount may end up footing the full $130 million bill for Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson’s TinTin movie, the first in a proposed trilogy from the duo (see “Peter Jackson, Spielberg to Direct TinTin Movies”). According to the Hollywood trades, the studio has offered to pick up the full tab after Universal, which had agreed to put up half the jack, backed out over concerns about the budget and the box office potential of the film.

Other elements of the deal may make it unattractive for Spielberg, who is also a party to negotiations over the terms of Dreamworks’ departure from Paramount.  And it’s also unclear whether the Paramount deal offers the filmmakers the same financial participation they would have had under the co-financed deal. 

The film is reportedly ready to roll, with a script from Dr. Who’s Steven Moffat, and a cast (see “Andy Serkis in TinTin”).