‘Golden Compass’ Trilogy ‘His Dark Materials’ Gets BBC TV Adaptation

Tepid performance of 2007’s The Golden Compass feature all-but-assured that the adaptation of Philip Pullman’s fantasy trilogy His Dark Materials had cooled, though The BBC looks to take another stab at it. The network will adapt the fantasy franchise as an new series with New Line Cinema, its first major foray into television.

For those unfamiliar with the His Dark Materials series, the first of which, Northern Lights, served as the basis for the Daniel Craig-Nicole Kidman starring Golden Compass, the series follows the orphan Lyra, who lives in a parallel universe, “in which science, theology and magic are entwined” (per Deadline). The best-selling book was followed by The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass.

New Line will partner with Bad Wolf for the effort, though no decision of timing have yet been made. Says Pullman himself of the latest adaptation attempt:

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 how long stories on television, whether adaptations (Game of Thrones) or original (The Sopranos, The Wire), can reach depths of characterization and heights of suspense by taking the time for events to make their proper impact and for consequences to unravel.

Despite pulling in $370 million worldwide, New Line ultimately abandoned plans for a Golden Compass sequel, failing to replicate its success with The Lord of the Rings. Will a BBC adaptation fare any better? Watch the original trailer below for comparison.