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New Line to finance another fantasy trilogy - His Dark Materials (1 Viewer)

Paul Case

Supporting Actor
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Jan 5, 2002
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This is great news! These are fantastic books, great fun and much more literary in nature than Harry Potter (which I enjoyed also). I hope they do as great of a job with these as they have done with Tolkien's masterworks!
 

Adam_S

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Adam_S
These books are awesome, but somewhat subversive, I consider them something of an anti-narnia, or maybe, a narnia type series for cynical-dispossessed-from-christianity-adults.

The whole series is allegorical to Milton's Paradise Lost, it's not to overt in the first book, but gets more and more so with the subsequent books (kindof like narnia :p) ).

They are excellent and highly enjoyable, though if filmed as much as the book, the movie could easily earn an R for all the violence centering around children, at the very least, I see the series garnering a pg13 if done right.

However it will be doubtful it is done right, the fact that it is newline gives me hope, but the head honcho that let LOTR be done right is no longer their so I'm not holding my breath.

Though this would definitly work extremely well if done serial style ala LOTR, it would be a big expense, but work out wonderfully because the children wouldn't be ageing a year or two between films. and serial style lends itself well to the film, because the first two end on huge cliffhangers. The third could maybe be split into two 2hour films, and the others I think would adapt well into two hour films.

But for people who are looking to read these to their children instead of Harry Potter, read them first, the scene where one priest like character tells the protagonist about the benifts of castration for taking away the great human evil of sexual desires, well that really frekaed me out and I was sixteen at the time, I won't let my little sister read these yet. :p)

That said the first book alone would be absolutely spectaclor, I can't wait to see Iorek Byrenson kick some series ass polar bear style.

dammit I wish they'd hold off for say eight years so I can direct the series (if I coudl become a director)

Adam
 

Neil N

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Dec 14, 2000
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These are great books (The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass) which I would highly recommend. However, like Adam, I fear that it will be very hard to bring them to the screen without some changes. There is definitely material, including some of the main themes/events that would be quite challenging to portray in a mainstream movie.
Of course Pantalaimon and Iorek would be two pretty cool characters to see on-screen. :)
 

TheLongshot

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May 12, 2000
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Jason
Very interesting. No suprise this happened. Actually, suprising that it didn't happen earlier. Very good books, but also very dark. Probably will need some changes to make it as a film series. Also, because of its dark nature, probably doesn't appeal as young as Harry Potter.

Jason
 

Tom Fynan

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Jun 10, 2000
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96
I also have to add that these are wonderful books, and a well done movie ala LOTR would be a treat. I read these last summer, and they are among the most well-written novels I have read in several years. They are marketed for teens, but they engaged this 41-year-old completely. I heartily recommend them to anyone with an open mind and a taste for good writing.

I think some of the themes of the books, such as the nature of grace, the influence of religion on society, and the nature of the relationship between God and his creation would make translating them successfully to a mass-market movie very difficult. I know some religious organizations have already branded them anti-religion or anti-God. I imagine the technical demands needed to convey the fantasy worlds would be overwhelming, but would be breathtaking if done properly.

Tom Fynan
 

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