Optimists are still waiting patiently for the sequel to a smash hit we were guaranteed but never got

Based on the level of talent assembled on either side of the camera, the critical acclaim the film received, the numbers it pulled in at the box office, and the awards season recognition it gathered, the fact The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn exists as a standalone blockbuster is a head-scratcher, especially when a sequel was all-but-promised.

After all, we’re talking about a fast-paced adventure created using cutting-edge performance capture technology that was directed by Steven Spielberg, produced by Peter Jackson and Kathleen Kennedy, co-written by Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish, with a star-studded ensemble bringing the legendary comic book series of the same name to vivid life.

We haven’t even mentioned a $374 million tally at the box office, identical Rotten Tomatoes scores of 74 percent from critics and crowds, a Golden Globe win for Best Animated Feature Film, and an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Score, either. Jackson was planning to take over from Spielberg and direct the second installment once he’d finished up on The Hobbit, but then the trail went ice cold.

At one stage, the next outing for the intrepid reporter was scheduled for release around the 2015 holiday season, but eventually any plans were placed on the back burner for what feels like forever. Jamie Bell admitted as recently as a few months ago that he’d love to reprise the role, and he’s not the only one who’d love to see another Tintin.

Fans on Reddit have placed themselves in exactly the same boat as the leading man, but we’d advise you not to hold your breath seeing as 11 years have passed. Then again, it’s been eight years since Jackson helmed a feature, so perhaps Tintin 2 is exactly the project required to get his creative juices flowing again.