Amph His Dark Materials

i had never thought of that - but thats a good un!

Casting update

http://www.latinoreview.com/news.php?id=686

-num

 

thats a cool name: Dakota Blue Richards as Lyra. Wonder what she looks like?

 

I bought Northern Lights mainly for the stupendous, beautiful cover, of which the title is an essential part. I always felt vaguely sorry for Americans having to put up with an inferior title - "The Golden Compass" is just boring. IMO this goes for HP: Sorcerer's Stone as well - "philosopher's stone" as a phrase has a very specific meaning; it is another name for the elixir of life. Surely American audiences know what philosophers are? I think the publishers are taking the the-public-are-stupid view a little too far.

But to return to topic . . .

I'm relieved that the religious views posited in the novel are staying for the film version, because the story wouldn't be what it is without the religious angle.

I honestly can't see where people get the idea that HDM is somehow a threat to the Christian faith. One: the vast majority of the vitriol is reserved for the fictional Church of Lyra's world, which is undefendably brutal and repressive. Two: if the portrait of said brutal and repressive Church is close enough to their own for them to get uptight, they've already got a problem.

 

actually in America the term Philospher means someone like Artisole not an alchemist... sorry but its how it goes. They changed it because the sorcercers stone is what the philosphers stone is called in our "folklore"

 

Who said Nichole Kidman would make a good Mrs. Colter? She's been cast as such!

Kidman Aligned With Compass

Nicole Kidman will star in New Line's The Golden Compass, portraying the villainous and glamorous Mrs. Coulter in the movie based on the first part of Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, Variety reported.

Shooting on the $150 million production is set for September at London's Shepperton Studios, the trade paper reported.

Chris Weitz is directing from his own script. British newcomer Dakota Blue Richards has already been cast for the lead role of Lyra Belacqua, who travels to a parallel universe to battle the forces of evil and rescue her best friend.

Scholastic Media's Deborah Forte is producing with Bill Carraro. New Line has staked out a release date of Nov. 16, 2007.
Scifiwire

 

Wow!!! I don't think she seems evil enough to play Mrs. Coulter . . . have you found any word about Lyra's father?

 

Kidman can certainly do icy. I think she'll do a pretty good job of Mrs Coulter . . . we shall see.

Varza, thanks for the clarification. Didn't know that

 

Pullman?

Anytime JediNemisis...

I was actually just heading here because I read about her casting when I read she was getting ready to move to London with her hubby for the filming in the next few weeks.

I'm glad that the directors vision was followed for this character.

 

okay news from the casting:

Pantalaimon

and

Serefina

and Paul Bettney for Lord Asriel? huh? I guess he is in talks for the role but damned not even close to who I imagine for the role.

 

well, I wasn't expecting this - Lord Asriel has now been cast and he will be protrayed by Bond Actor: Daniel Craig?

 

Hmm, don't know him. I was hoping for whats-his-name who played Malfoy.

 

Actually, Daniel Craig, who was XXXX in Layer Cake and the new James Bone in the upcoming Bond movie, will be playing Lord Asriel.

 

Yeah, varza said that. I was just commenting that I had been hoping for the other guy.

 

I seem to have a totally different perception of Asriel than most people (though I understand the reaction to Craig hasn't been overwhelmingly positive, still no one seems to be thinking my way). My ideal Asriel is someone a lot like the guy who played the Architect in the Matrix sequels. He should be very neatly put together, well-built, bearded with gray or white hair, mature to the point of looking a bit old. Every Asriel I've seen suggested along the way, and certanly the one we ended up with, seem too young to me.

The results of the Asriel, Coulter, and Serafina casting have me a bit worried about the movie. Not because I think they're necessarily bad, but because those three names are relatively well-known, and putting that many familiar faces in a movie of this type is often an early indication of trouble IMO. At least we can be thankful Lyra is an unknown.

I'm also glad that they're making TGC separately with the option to pick up the sequels. If the movie doesn't work at all, ending at the end of TGC actually works really well. It is a beautiful ending and doesn't need followups. If it does well enough, they can make TSK and TAS back to back, which makes sense anyway from a production perspective, as there are many more shared characters and locations between those two books than with the first one. It makes sense from a production perspective as well as working well from a story perspective.

-Paul

 

Didn't know they were just making the first one right now; interesting. You're right; it does make sense.

 

Daniel Craig looks older then he is... it will be interesting to see what comes of it. He isn't a very well known actor. Most people you say his name to are huh? same with the woman cast for Serefina. I have no clue who she is...

as for Kidman - the character was written for her so I am willing to overlook the big name for it..

by the by... found a pic of Kidman and Craig from another movie they are in:

[image=http://www.casafree.com/modules/xcgal/albums/userpics/15852/nkidman%20daniel%20craig.jpg]

 

I'm reserving opinion on Daniel Craig. The only film with him I've seen so far is Munich, and he was genuinely good in that. Plus, insofar as what he looks like goes, makeup does great things

It seems to have made a bit of a ripple in the fan community though.

I wonder if www.craignotasriel.com exists yet?

 

Go watch Layer Cake. He's a fantastic actor.

 

I got that in form Netflix last night - planning on watching it tonight. I didn't realize he was in Tomb Raider - I forgot about that. He reminds me in some of the shots from 007 of Steve McQueen...

Ian McShane is Iorek...

 

He was in Tomb Raider?

 

yeah he played the tomb raider hired by the bad guys... just wsaw Layer Cake - wow!

 

It's good, isn't it?

And, they've started filming the movie. It's going to be cool, because I went there this summer, I'll recognize the places.