Over a decade after THE GOLDEN COMPASS failed to launch a feature-film franchise based upon Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" trilogy, BBC/HBO have given the series a second chance on television; Not only that, but they seem to have quite a lot of faith in the series as they've already renewed it for a second season.
Based on "Northern Lights," "The Subtle Knife," and "The Amber Spyglass," His Dark Materials takes place in a world parallel to our own, where a human's soul exists outside one's body in the form of a talking animal. Dafne Keen (LOGAN) stars as Lyra, a young orphan who lives at Jordan College in Oxford along with her daemon Pantalaimon. "Her cloistered life soon gives way to a global adventure when she’s thrust into a mystery surrounding missing children and something called Dust, a particle which holds vast secrets of her universe." In addition to Keen, His Dark Materials also stars James McAvoy (IT: CHAPTER TWO), Ruth Wilson (Luther), Lin-Manuel Miranda (MARY POPPINS RETURNS), Clarke Peters (The Wire), and more. The eight-episode series is said to be one of the most expensive British dramas to date, and a panel at San Diego Comic-Con has revealed much more about the upcoming series, including a new trailer!
Well that certainly looks like a lot of fun. I'll be updating the rest of the panel live as our JoBlo team send in their impressions! Keep checking back!
James McAvoy, Lin Manuel-Miranda, Dafne Keen, and Ruth Wilson. #HisDarkMaterials #sdcc pic.twitter.com/hL5YL2iXvz
— JoBlo.com (@joblocom) July 18, 2019
First full trailer for #HisDarkMaterials looks like @HBO successor to Game of Thrones. #SDCC
— JoBlo.com (@joblocom) July 18, 2019
Showrunner Jane Tranter said developing #HisDarkMaterials was to liberate the books and give them a proper adaptation. #SDCC
— JoBlo.com (@joblocom) July 18, 2019
Playwright Jack Thorne said the key to adapting #HisDarkMaterials was to know everything about author Philip Pullman and the beloved novels. #SDCC
— JoBlo.com (@joblocom) July 18, 2019
On the animal daemons in the story. Dafne Keen said it is a beautiful relationship and helps you as an actor to see the interior of a character on the outside. #HisDarkMaterials #sdcc pic.twitter.com/kaejYbF5W5
— JoBlo.com (@joblocom) July 19, 2019
Ruth Wilson on her daemon: "my monkey is particularly nasty." #HisDarkMaterials #SDCC pic.twitter.com/CgMQ7Ylt0q
— JoBlo.com (@joblocom) July 19, 2019
James McAvoy loves his badass snow leopard daemon. #HisDarkMaterials #SDCC pic.twitter.com/TyYW0IomGc
— JoBlo.com (@joblocom) July 19, 2019
#HisDarkMaterials looks like a massive step up on the previous feature adaptation, The Golden Compass. BBC and HBO already working on Season 2. #SDCC
— JoBlo.com (@joblocom) July 19, 2019
Jack Thorne, who wrote Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, said there were 46 drafts before they got the story right. #HisDarkMaterials #SDCC
— JoBlo.com (@joblocom) July 19, 2019
Thorne says the little moments are his favorite parts of #HisDarkMaterials. He and Ruth Wilson traded notes on their 11 hour plane trip to #sdcc. The cast has a lot of passion for the story.
— JoBlo.com (@joblocom) July 19, 2019
Ruth Wilson says her character is the mother of all evil. She read that and knew she had to play her. #HisDarkMaterials #SDCC pic.twitter.com/Ez10xP7gB1
— JoBlo.com (@joblocom) July 19, 2019
James McAvoy says Lord Azrael will sacrifice anything for his goal. #HisDarkMaterials #SDCC pic.twitter.com/keqfXEOEFz
— JoBlo.com (@joblocom) July 19, 2019
On elements as a critique of organized religion, Ruth Wilson says it is more about the difference between faith and religion. #HisDarkMaterials #SDCC
— JoBlo.com (@joblocom) July 19, 2019
Jack Thorne says #HisDarkMaterials is an anti-superhero story. Lyra is constantly following the path of good and in this current political climate we should all be striving for goodness. #HisDarkMaterials #SDCC
— JoBlo.com (@joblocom) July 19, 2019
The @BBC came on board right away but @HBO took more convincing. They finally said ok because there is nothing else like it on TV. #HisDarkMaterials #SDCC
— JoBlo.com (@joblocom) July 19, 2019
The books don't go against religion but rather authorities that don't allow freedom of thought or expression. #HisDarkMaterials #SDCC
— JoBlo.com (@joblocom) July 19, 2019
James McAvoy says rational, creative and imaginative thought is the core to the goodness of these characters. #HisDarkMaterials #SDCC
— JoBlo.com (@joblocom) July 19, 2019
Ruth Wilson's favorite part of her character, Mrs Coulter, gets to do something nasty to a child but it was so much fun. #HisDarkMaterials #SDCC
— JoBlo.com (@joblocom) July 19, 2019
That's it for Hall H today. We are back tomorrow with more! #SDCC #SDCC2019
— JoBlo.com (@joblocom) July 19, 2019
His Dark Materials will premiere on BBC/HBO this fall.
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