If you’re a fan of Philip Pullman’s famous novel series “His Dark Materials,” you’re probably familiar with the ill-fated attempt to adapt the series for live-action in 2007’s “The Golden Compass.” Produced at the height of ‘Harry Potter’ and ‘Narnia’ buzz in the film industry, “The Golden Compass” failed to turn into a franchise and was ultimately disappointing for fans of the novels. Now, more than a decade later, HBO and BBC have combined forces to bring a great cast and crew together for a series adaptation, “His Dark Materials.”
As seen in the first teaser, HBO’s “His Dark Materials” is a very different beast than the 2007 failed film. The footage does show a bit of the fantasy aspect of the series, but the focus seems to be slightly grittier and more intense than the film version. And that is likely to excite fans of Pullman’s novels.
The cast of “His Dark Materials” includes Dafne Keen, James McAvoy, Ruth Wilson, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Anne-Marie Duff, Clarke Peters, Will Keen, Ian Gelder, Georgina Campbell, and James Cosmo.
Oscar-winning director Tom Hooper (“The King’s Speech”) is the director of the first two episodes of the first season. The series is written by Jack Thorne, who is probably best known as a writer on the British series “Shameless” and “Skins.” He’ll also be the man writing Damien Chazelle’s upcoming Netflix series “The Eddy.”
“His Dark Materials” debuts on HBO sometime later this year.
Here’s the synopsis:
Adapting Philip Pullman’s award-winning trilogy of the same name, which is considered a modern masterpiece of imaginative fiction, the first season follows Lyra, a seemingly ordinary but brave young woman from another world. Her search for a kidnapped friend uncovers a sinister plot involving stolen children, and becomes a quest to understand a mysterious phenomenon called Dust. As she journeys through the worlds, including our own, Lyra meets Will, a determined and courageous boy. Together, they encounter extraordinary beings and dangerous secrets, with the fate of both the living — and the dead — in their hands.
