Director Steven Spielberg’s “The Adventure of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn” is set to hit North American theatres on Dec. 23, 2011, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The 3-D motion-capture feature will premiere to audiences in other parts of the world even earlier, with an international rollout scheduled to begin in late October of that year.

Filming began in January for the project, which is inspired by the famous character introduced by Belgian illustrator Herge in 1929. Jamie Bell stars as the titular globetrotting young reporter, while his “Defiance” co-star Daniel Craig plays the villainous pirate Red Rackham.

The cast is rounded out by Andy Serkis, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Gad Elmaleh, Toby Jones and Mackenzie Crook.

“The Secret of the Unicorn” is only the first in a planned series of Tintin films. “Lord of the Rings” filmmaker Peter Jackson, whose Weta Digital effects house developed the motion-capture technology that will be used in the films, is on tap to direct the second film.

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