OHH MYYY GOODDDDD!!!!!!

I cant believe they are making a film based on one of my favourite trilogies ever, the Dark Materials Trilogy by Phillip Pullman. The first book was published in the UK as Northern Lights, but was named The Golden Compass in the US, hence the titlwe of the upcoming movie. To anyone thats read it, i hear that the movie makers are cutting most of the Religious content out of the book, which i feel will ruin the whole feel of it, considering the books main focus is the debate betwwen scientific and religious views on how the Universe works, but it will still make a good fantasy romp nevertheless. To those who havent read it-READ IT!!!! The first book is an average fantasy novel really, but the second and third books (which will also be made into movies depending on the first films success) absolutely blew me away with their radical ideas and wonderful characters. Heres a couple of links:

book review

movie website

Yep, I first heard about this about a year ago. I have similar worries to you though Liam - for a start, they're cutting out the religious content which is pathetic. secondly, the script has been written by the guy who directed American Pie, and he is also directing the film. Obviously, it's entirely possible that he'll be a good director for this, but I'm not convinced. Also, I';m not convinced by the choice of Daniel Craig to play Lord Asriel - I just think he might be a bit young...... :unsure:

I *really* hope the movie is good, and I could quite honestly see the first one being great, but how on earth will they finish the triology if they have removed all religion from it? I will say though, the Nicole Kidman as Mrs Coulter is just perfect casting :ok:

Yeah, this should be great! The books are superb and the trailer looks like they have gone all out with the effects. Will be strange without the religious references though. They add another dimension to the story.
I went to a debate between Pullman (who's an atheist) and the Archbishop of Canterbury about religion and religious education and it was pretty interesting. I would have thought that Pullman would have insisted on keeping the religious bits in the movie, because it becomes a pretty big part of the story in the third book particularly.

hen i first read about Asriel, i made an instant image of him in my head, and Daniel Craig is nothing like that image!!!! Agree about Kidman though, i was quite surprised when i saw her on the trailer, but now i have seen her, i couldnt imagine any other actress playing the role. Ian Mcshane as Iorek seems quite laughable though

Exactly. The whole conclusion of the amber spyglass seemed to be about Mary finding the new Eden and the story of Adam and Eve playing itself out in the different worlds, in different ways. Im also puzzled that Pullman is prepared to negotiate his story for the benefit of the film. I hope hes not thinking of the money here.....

I'm quite intrigued about how they'll stage the final battle as well??? and all the stuff about the Metatron??? :unsure: The whole of the third book seems to be about religion in some way :blink:

Doesn't seem the sort, but I can't understand why he would allow the change otherwise. After the success of the books, I would have thought that he'd have plenty of cash (more than most school teachers anyway) and surely other studios would have been keen for the rights.
Maybe they will just tone down some of the religious reference so that the whole hype over the movie isn't clouded by abuse from religious groups :shrug:

Exactly!!! Maybe they will change the angels into something else, but how can they cut God out of the story? Oh well, at least the first book isnt really concerned with religion so the movie should be a treat :)

I *really* hope so :pray: It'll be the big Xmas fantasy film this year.....I think i'll have to take my mum to see it :unsure:

I saw the trailer for this last year and was totally enthralled by it. Its this years December Epic and I cant wait. I didnt know that it was based on a book and more so a Trilogy.I hope that they make all three.I can comment on the movie versus the book coz I just discovered that there is a book.But from my experience books are always better than the movies.Kiss The Girls by James Patterson is a classic example.Great Book, sad ass attemtp of a movie!

It says on the website that if this film is a success, they will definately commission the other 2. I cant recommend the books enough though DN if you have time to read them :)

I second that!!!! I read them when they first came out - must be about 10 years ago now, and got to the end of Northern Lights and had to wait ages for The Subtle Knife. Then had to wait ages for The Amber Spyglass. i got to the end and actually sat there for ages thinking about the book.....always a sign of a good book to me :ok:

well i read them at the beginning of this year, so i had all three ready to read. After the second, i dont think i could have bared the wit for the 3rd :o

I love books...You guys must PM me the titles and I will look for them. My best friend is a librarian so getting them will be a snap!

Just checked and the first one was published in 1995,. the second one in 1997 and the third one in 2000.....

They are called the His Dark Materials Trilogy and the titles are:
The Northern Lights
The Subtle knife
The Amber Spyglass
All by Philip Pullman
The name of the trilogy sounds right up your alley! :)

Out of interest, Northern Lights is called The Golden Compass in America, I don't know which version you would get in South Africa Dark :shrug:

If you go on the movie website, there is a test to see what daemon you would have. Mine is Eumelia the lion!!! ROARRR B)

The dark materials trilogy is indeed fantastic!! :ok:

One in the eye for those who think that books aimed for children/. young adults cannot be literary heavyweights.

I met Phillip Pullman about 6 years ago. He is one eccentric guy!! He seemed very astute and very passionate in his beliefs.

Way before the film was even commissioned, he had said outright that his perfect choice for Mrs Coulter would be Nicole Kidman. I would say that she is ideal for the part. Not so sure about Lord Asriel though. For some reason I suddenly have Viggo Mortensen in my head for the part. Don't know where that came from! :shrug:

Doesn't surprise me re: religious content, although as has already been pointed out, that isn't as prominent in the first book as it is in the third..

lol good choice!!!! i was thinking maybe Hugh Jackman or Russell Crowe!!! I suppose its good for us though a Brit gets to play the male lead/Kidmans love interest ;)

Im glad i never met him, i doubt very much i could keep up a conversation with him :wacko: roflmao

Unless I'm gravely mistaken, Pullman initially wanted Jason Isaacs for the role of Lord Asriel. The guy sure is class, what a shame it is that he did nae take the part!

My mum always says that he pictured Omar Sharif when she read it :unsure: might just be an age thing

i always saw someone older and a bit more mad professor like......but yeah, nicole kidman is just perfect as Mrs Coulter.... :ok:

this trilogy has passed me by..

I reckon I'd better hunt it down. I saw the trailer on the tv the other day and thought it looked interesting. I think I may watch the film before getting the books though...

Nooooo!!!!!!! Read the books first :ok: It'#s difficult to tell how much the movies will be changed, but I suspect by the time they get to the third one they'll be very very different from the books - and the books are amazing. Some really interesting concepts wrapped up in what is essentially a children's novel :ok:

Religion row hits Pullman epic

Dark Materials movie softens book's attacks on Catholic church

Vanessa Thorpe, arts and media correspondent
Sunday October 14, 2007
The Observer


One of the key religious themes of Philip Pullman's award-winning series of children's novels, His Dark Materials, has been watered down to appeal to a wider audience in the new Hollywood film version of the first book. The original story's rejection of organised religion, and in particular of the historic abuse of power in the Catholic Church, has been altered to avoid offending followers of the faith in the UK and in America.

The film, which stars Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig, is called The Golden Compass after the American title of Pullman's novel Northern Lights and has followed his magical narrative very closely in most respects. The characterisation of the sinister organisation known as the Magisterium has, however, been changed, so that the film will now appear to be a more general attack on dogmatic authorities of every kind.
Northern Lights, the book which first introduced readers to Pullman's 12-year-old heroine, Lyra, is as dear to its many fans as JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings and JK Rowling's Harry Potter saga, so tampering with the philosophical content is not likely to be welcomed when the film is released before Christmas.

While Pullman himself has said he believes 'the outline of the story is faithful to what I wrote, given my knowledge of what they have done', the National Secular Society - of which the author is an honorary associate - has now spoken out against the changes.

'It was clear right from the start that the makers of this film intended to take out the anti-religious elements of Pullman's book,' said Terry Sanderson, president of the society. 'In doing that they are taking the heart out of it, losing the point of it, castrating it. It seems that religion has now completely conquered America's cultural life and it is much the poorer for it. What a shame that we have to endure such censorship here too.'

Kidman has said the critical stance of the film 'has been watered down a little ... I was raised Catholic, the Catholic Church is part of my essence,' she told film journalists in Australia in the summer. 'I wouldn't be able to do this film if I thought it were at all anti-Catholic.'

The book tells of Lyra's quest to rescue a kidnapped friend and then charts her efforts to save the fantastical world she inhabits. She has to fight the forces of the dominant religious authority, the Magisterium, which condones the abduction of children for experimentation.

At a preview of footage staged at the Cannes Film Festival in the spring, director Chris Weitz, best known for directing About A Boy, said the film would be a fair retelling of Pullman's tale.

'In the books the Magisterium is a version of the Catholic church gone wildly astray from its roots. If that's what you want in the film, you'll be disappointed,' he admitted, but added: 'We have expanded the range of meanings of what the Magisterium represents. Philip Pullman is against any kind of organised dogma whether it is church hierarchy or, say, a Soviet hierarchy.'

Kidman, who plays the role of Marisa Coulter, had always been Pullman's ideal choice for the role. He sent her signed copies of the trilogy before he signed a film deal. Craig is playing Lord Asriel and a 12-year-old newcomer, Dakota Blue Richards, from Sussex, takes the role of Lyra.

Reality versus fiction

The Roman Catholic Church's Magisterium
The body consists of the bishops and the Pope. 'The task of interpreting the Word of God authentically has been entrusted solely to the Magisterium of the Church.' (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd ed. 1997, pt. 1, sect. 1, ch. 2, art. 2, III.)

Pullman's Magisterium
In the parallel universe set up by Pullman in his series His Dark Materials, Magisterium becomes the name of a dark and malevolent religious organisation that perpetrates abuse, torture and murder.

Hollywood's Magisterium
The Golden Compass, the new film version of Pullman's Northern Lights, will represent the Magisterium as a catch-all didactic authority. It will now stand for the evils perpetrated by any non-democratic, powerful government

I ordered the trilogy as a boxed set on Monday from Amazon.de for €14.97 and it arrived today :yahoo:

In this version, it's not 'The Northern Lights' but 'The Golden Compass' as it's from the US

I may be absent for a while... :unsure: :D

This opens here next week the 7th December.Looking forward to it butIm only going to be able to go the next day :(

When does it open for you guys or is it a worldwide premier?

I got an e-mail from a friend of mine the other day about this movie, saying she's been told to boycott it because it's an athiestic movie :shrug: if you look on Facebook there's hundreds of groups demanding that this movie is boycotted by Christians because it's written by an athiest and its "sick".......I do wonder how many of them have actually read the books, 'cos I doubt any of them have seen the movie. It's certainly gonna get more controversial as time goes by :shrug:

Which doesnt bode to well with then with my christian beliefs if it is a book/movie against Christianity. :( I will however go and watch it myself and formulate my own opinion. :ok:

you probab ly won't even notice that this film is about christianity - it's more about abuses of power from what i've read. it'll kind of depend on how they decide to adapt the final two books i think. I never saw the books as being hideously athiestic, more being anti-organised religion rather than anti-Christian. But they've toned down any of the content which might offend Christians (something which fans of the book are fairly irritated by), and from what I've heard will continue to remove references to religion from all the films :doh: I think what protesters are worried about is that kids will go see the films, and then buy the books and suddenly they'll all become athiests :hmm:

Wow, I loved these books when I read them and as a die-hard atheist they made much sense to me mixed with all the sci-fi themes.

I agree with TM, DJ and LV. It's dissapointing they took the religion out I bet that was just to get the American audience in - absolutely pathetic country. They also need the titles 'dumbed' down like HP and the Sorcerer's (Philosopher's) Stone.

I thought they maybe could have coped with 'Northern Lights' but I guess not. Nicole Kidman is a class act for Coulter, I think Daniel Craig could do well as Asriel (although I didn't picture him anything like that) - I rate him as an actor. I wonder who will be Lyra?

Much of it is also to do with physics that defy religion as well are they going to chuck them too? There's gay references too.

Anyway I will see it either way. I recommend the books to anyone as well.

Which is how it should be because its a holiday adaption for the holidays.Its the December Fantasy.We have one every year.Sometimes people just get on a bandwagon and protest for attention.Hope that its a great movie.Im sure it will be,Im a lover of imaginative movie adapted from novels :ok:

Your an athiest? :blink:

tbf, FW, they've taken all the religion out and they're STILL complaining - but it's alright for Mel Gibson to make a blatantly Chrsitian movie like The Passion of the Christ :nope: honestly, if you don't think you're going to enjoy a movie, don't go and see it (which is why i've not see TPOTC), don't demand that the rest of the world ignores it too. more to the point, most of them know nothing about it, which is why they're going on random rumors "don't go and see it because the two children are sent on a mission to kill God....." ummm...... :blink:

I am too. :) well, not strictly speaking, depends on your defitinion of athiesm - i'm probably closer to pagan than athiest.....but i still don't believe in a Christian God or anything like that. it doesn't mean i sacrifice small animals before you say anything.......

Thats a bit hectic...Im shocked Jo.But I respect you as a person nevertheless. :ok:

you're shocked that I don't believe in God? :unsure:

Er yes I am. I cant understand how but yeah to each his own! :)

I agree DJ.

Thanks Dark for not taking prejudice. Alot of people do.

i've never found anyone who has taken prejudice with me for being an atheist. I've had a few friends who have attempted to save my soul, but i think they've realised I'm a lost cause now...... :P