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His Dark Materials

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BBC One commissions adaptation of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials

BBC One today announced it has ordered a new drama series based on Philip Pullman’s epic fantasy trilogy of novels, His Dark Materials. Commissioned by Charlotte Moore, Controller BBC One and Polly Hill, Controller BBC Drama Commissioning, His Dark Materials is produced by Bad Wolf and New Line Cinema which will be made in Wales for BBC One.

Polly Hill, Controller BBC Drama Commissioning, says: “It is an honor to be bringing Philip Pullman’s extraordinary novels to BBC One. His Dark Materials is a stunning trilogy, and a drama event for young and old – a real family treat that shows our commitment to original and ambitious storytelling.”
His Dark Materials is one of the supreme works of imaginative fiction for both children and adults published in the 20th century. Northern Lights introduces Lyra, an orphan, who lives in a parallel universe in which science, theology and magic are entwined. Lyra’s search for a kidnapped friend uncovers a sinister plot involving stolen children, and turns into a quest to understand a mysterious phenomenon called Dust. In The Subtle Knife she is joined on her journey by Will, a boy who possesses a knife that can cut windows between worlds. As Lyra learns the truth about her parents and her prophesied destiny, the two young people are caught up in a war against celestial powers that ranges across many worlds and leads to a thrilling conclusion in The Amber Spyglass.
Philip Pullman says: “It’s been a constant source of pleasure to me to see this story adapted to different forms and presented in different media. It’s been a radio play, a stage play, a film, an audiobook, a graphic novel – and now comes this version for television.
“In recent years we’ve seen the way that long stories on television, whether adaptations (‘Game of Thrones’) or original (‘The Sopranos, The Wire), can reach depths of characterisation and heights of suspense by taking the time for events to make their proper impact and for consequences to unravel.
“And the sheer talent now working in the world of long-form television is formidable. For all those reasons I’m delighted at the prospect of a television version of His Dark Materials. I’m especially pleased at the involvement of Jane Tranter, whose experience, imagination, and drive are second to none. As for the BBC, it has no stronger supporter than me. I couldn’t be more pleased with this news.”
Jane Tranter, Executive Producer for Bad Wolf adds: “It is an honor and a joy to be part of the team responsible for bringing Philip Pullman’s trilogy of novels to the BBC. Ever since they were first published these books have been a huge influence on so much of my thinking and imagination and it is enormously inspiring to be now working on them for television adaptation.
“The broad horizons of television suggests itself as the best of vehicles to capture the expansiveness of the story and worlds of Lyra and Will and I am looking forward to seeing how ‘Northern Lights,’ ‘The Subtle Knife’ and ‘The Amber Spyglass’ will occupy their place in an audience’s imagination across many episodes and seasons.
“To say that I am grateful to Philip Pullman and to Toby and Carolyn at New Line Cinema for entrusting this to Bad Wolf is an understatement and we will give everything that we have to rise to the challenge of doing justice to these great works and to the responsibility that Philip and the incomparable BBC have bestowed on us.”
His Dark Materials has been published in more than 40 languages and has sold worldwide close to 17.5 million copies.
Since first publication in 1995 of Northern Lights, the three books have been acclaimed worldwide and have won many awards. In 2001 The Amber Spyglass was the first and only children’s book to win the Whitbread (now Costa) Book of the Year Award, in 2007 Northern Lights won the Carnegie of Carnegies and in 2005 Pullman was awarded by the Swedish Arts Council, the children’s literature equivalent of the Nobel Prize, The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award.
Nicholas Hytner’s stage production of His Dark Materials was produced in two parts at the National Theatre in 2003-4. In 2006 New Line released a film of The Golden Compass starring Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig and Dakota Blue Richards as Lyra.
His Dark Materials is the first commission from Bad Wolf, a UK/US production company founded by Jane Tranter and Julie Gardner and co-sited in South Wales and Los Angeles and is New Line Cinema’s first move into TV production.
His Dark Materials will be Executive Produced by Philip Pullman, Jane Tranter and Julie Gardner for Bad Wolf, Toby Emmerich and Carolyn Blackwood for New LineCinema, Bethan Jones for BBC One and Deborah Forte for Scholastic.
 
I was really diasppointed when the studio butchered the Golden Compass film and then didn't adapt the other two books. They had the perfect little Lyra in Dakota Blue Richards (who got incredibly hot btw). I hope this works out well.
 
I didn't mind Golden Compass, tbf, although most people agree with your opinion on that matter.
 
I didn't mind Golden Compass, tbf, although most people agree with your opinion on that matter.
I enjoy the film, but it is well documented that the studio messed with the film during the shoot and in the editing room. The book's finale was completely shot, and then cut from the film.
 
I was really diasppointed when the studio butchered the Golden Compass film and then didn't adapt the other two books. They had the perfect little Lyra in Dakota Blue Richards (who got incredibly hot btw). I hope this works out well.

Agree with all of this, was so excited for the film series, the first was okay, but nothing special and a disappointment really, but I would have liked to see the movies continue as the cast were perfect. Double agreed about DBR being a perfect Lyra and growing up to hot :woot:.

I am excited to see a TV show but was hoping HBO would pick it up, I just don't think the BBC has the budget to do the story justice. I mean how will they do Iorek and the other armoured bears? Then there are the witches, Angels and many other strange creatures to consider.
 
Well I'm excited that someone is taking another crack at this, because the books are great and deserved much better than the adaptation they got. I'll admit I too am concerned about the BBC's budget, but it's just nice to get another shot at seeing the other two books adapted.
 
Really to do this justice it needs a Game Of Thrones type budget, if not more.
 
I totally forgot about the books until the announcement. Now I'm going to go pick up the series tomorrow. Thought the movie was fairly decent too. Then again, a mate did tell me once I read Northern Lights I will come to realise how disappointing the movie really is. Apparently the same was said for the Stephen Dorff/Daniel Craig movie 'The Power of One.' Apparently there was this African character that was just as integral as Morgan Freeman's character, of whom was omitted from the movie.
 
I'm so glad someone is attempting another adaptation because I love the books so much but the movie was so disappointing. I am worried whether BBC is the right home for this because of the budget though. Along with the things AVIETWITHJAMON mentioned, the daemons themselves are probably going to take up so much of the budget. I mean they're basically going to have to be in every scene, at least in Lyra's world.
 
Man I didn't even think of the daemons when I mentioned budget concerns, they are going to take up a lot of budget. Then throw in armoured bears, witches, Angels and some other creatures with extensive parts in the story and the budget becomes a problem. HBO should be the home for this, not BBC.
 
Tom Hooper? Dammit, there goes my interest.
 
Hooper sucks, but Dafne Keen is awesome...
 
I like Hooper's John Adams and The King's Speech and most of Les Mis so Im cautiously optimistic about this. And its great that Dafne Keen is going to be in this.
 
Dafne Keen being in this is awesome. Don't know enough Hooper to comment.
 
...‘His Dark Materials’ Series Starring ‘Logan’ Breakout Dafne Keen

http://deadline.com/2018/03/the-kin...for-his-dark-materials-adaptation-1202319285/
James McAvoy& Clarke Peters Sign Up To BBC One Fantasy Drama ‘His Dark Materials’

https://deadline.com/2018/06/james-...-fantasy-drama-his-dark-materials-1202406102/

Really looking forward to this. Love the cast they are assembling.

And LOL Keen gets to play against both Xaviers.
 
Last edited:
https://deadline.com/2018/06/the-af...-fantasy-drama-his-dark-materials-1202406523/

EXCLUSIVE: The Affair star Ruth Wilson is the latest A-list star to sign up to BBC drama His Dark Materials.

The actor is signing up to play Marisa Coulter, one of the main protagonists of the eight-part drama and the former lover of Lord Asriel, played by James McAvoy. The character is one of the main characters in the trilogy of novels written by Phillip Pullman, particularly The Amber Spyglass, the third novel, where the character is described as a beautiful 35-year old.

She is thought to be the mother of Lyra, played by Dafne Keen, who has a golden monkey demon.
 
Ruth is another’s great bit of casting!

My only worry at this point is the cgi/effects
 
OMG I never heard of these plans!! So excited they're trying to adapt the books again. I loved them and the movie was so bad... they deserve another try. Love the casting so far. Can't wait!
 
https://deadline.com/2018/07/black-...-dark-materials-as-filming-begins-1202434929/

Black Mirror’s Georgina Campbell, Shameless’ Anne-Marie Duff and Games of Thrones’ Ian Gelder have all signed on to star in BBC One fantasy drama His Dark Materials. The trio have joined the cast of the Bad Wolf show, which has begun filming in Cardiff.

Campbell plays journalist Adele Starminster, Gelder stars as Librarian Scholar Charles and Duff plays a boat dwelling Gyptian, alongside James Cosmo, Lucien Msamati, Mat Fraser, Jack Verhoeven and Benjamin de Ruyter.

Wolf Hall star Will Keen, father of leading actress Dafne Keen, plays Father MacPhail.

The full cast was confirmed after Deadline broke the news of Keen’s performance, as well as that of The Affair star Ruth Wilson and director Tom Hooper’s involvement. As previously reported, X-Men and Atomic Blonde star James McAvoy and The Wire’s Clarke Peters are also on board alongside Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Talented young actors also joining the cast include Lewin Lloyd, Daniel Frogson, Tyler Howitt and Archie Barnes.

Hooper will be lead director of the big-budget adaptation of Philip Pullman’s fantasy epic and helm the first two episodes with Dawn Shadforth (Trust) directing an episode and Peaky Blinders’ Otto Bathurst directing two.

The show is written by National Treasure and Wonder writer Jack Thorne. It is based on Pullman’s trilogy of books: Northern Lights, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass, a complex tale of physics, philosophy and theology featuring witches and armored polar bears. It tells the story of two children, Lyra and Will, who wander through a series of parallel universes.

His Dark Materials is produced by Bad Wolf and New Line Cinema for BBC One in association with BBC Studios Distribution and Anton Capital Entertainment, S.C.A. The series will be filmed in Cardiff at Wolf Studios Wales.

It will be exec produced by Pullman, Thorne, Tranter, Gardner, Dan McCulloch, Toby Emmerich and Carolyn Blackwood for New Line; Piers Wenger and Ben Irving for BBC One and Deborah Forte for Scholastic.

Bad Wolf and distributor BBC Worldwide have also been talking to a number of international broadcasters and streaming services about the project, which is thought to be one of the most expensive British dramas to date. Apple and Netflix are among the suitors for the U.S. and global rights. Endeavor Content co-reps North American rights with BBC Worldwide.

Pullman said, “I’m delighted that the production is under way, and I’m looking forward immensely to seeing how it looks. Bad Wolf has assembled a wonderful cast and I’m sure every HDM reader is as keen as I am to see it all coming together.”

Piers Wenger, Controller of BBC Drama, added, “The vast, complex and deeply imaginative landscape of Philip’s novels requires a world class but quintessentially British band of creatives to bring them to life. The BBC is proud and privileged to be the host to such visionaries. Thank you to Jane, Jack, Dan, Joel and Tom and of course to Philip for entrusting us with their work and sharing the journey of seeing His Dark Materials come to life”.

Tranter said, “The calibre of our cast and directors is a testament to the brilliance of Jack Thorne’s scripts and also the sheer bravura, depth and imagination of Philip Pullman’s original novels. Our determination is to sound every note of the books in a series that will fully explore the many worlds and concepts in Philip’s work. Bad Wolf has assembled a world class production team at Wolf Studios Wales in Cardiff who will bring Philip’s incredible works to life for a whole new audience.”
 

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