Do you remember the film The Golden Compass? That’s ok, a lot of people don’t. You may recall the billboards and trailers featuring gorgeous snowy vistas with polar bears and a sinister looking Nicole Kidman, with steampunkiness galore.
That film was based on a series of books by author Philip Pullman. Many fans of those novels were greatly vexed by the presentation of the material in the film, despite genius casting with Ian McShane. BBC, in all their infinite wisdom, are currently in the process of adapting the series for televison.
The official press release from Pullman about this announcement reads:
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.
Needless to say, this is extremely exciting news, and we cannot wait to see how things progress.
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