HBO and the BBC’sHis Dark Materialsis proving to be a lot darker than the 2007 big screen adaptation ofThe Golden Compass. The 2007 movie was criticized for watering down Phillip Pullman’s source material and the new series looks like it is the complete opposite, even in the brief bit that we see in the latest full-length trailer. “In every child’s nightmare, there is an element of truth,” is the quote setting up the new series, which could end up being HBO’s answer to the gaping holeGame of Thronesis going to leave behind this weekend.
We’ve seen tiny little bits ofHis Dark Materialsin the past, but this is our best peek yet and it looks great.Phillip Pullmanfans should be happy with the way everything looks, along with the feeling that they’re truly adapting his dense source material. The series is directed by Academy Award winner Tom Hooper and starsLogan’s Dafne Keen as Lyra, Ruth Wilson as Marisa Coulter, James McAvoy as Lord Asriel, Lin-Manuel Miranda as Lee Scoresby, and several more.
His Dark Materialshasn’t even debuted and it has already been renewed for a second season, which is all anyone really needs to know about the adaptation and its scope. The show has been in development for a long time, so it’s nice to finally see the full-length trailer. However, we still have yet to see a release date announcement as of this writing, which doesn’t help the Phillip Pullman fans who have been waiting years to see a proper adaptation of his work. With that being said, it will more than likely premiere before the end of the year.
TheHis Dark Materialsbook series adaptation was first ordered by BBC One and was written by Jack Thorne (National Treasure) in 2015. The series consists of Phillip Pullman’s Northern Lights, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass. The stories are about the coming of age of two children, Lyra and Will, who move through parallel universes while the mysterious Church tries to put an end to it. The Northern Lights book was what turned into 2007’sThe Golden Compassmovie.
Production wrapped onHis Dark Materialsseason 1 late last year, so it’s only a matter of time before HBO releases the show.Game of Thronesis coming to an end this weekend,Big Little Liesis returning for season 2, theDeadwoodmovie is on the way, and theWatchmenseries is coming this fall. A summer release forHis Dark Materialswould certainly be welcome, but it seems unlikely at this time. The end of the year seems like a better bet, possibly to help compete with the debut of the Disney+ streaming platform, which will launch with theStar Warslive-action seriesThe Mandalorianin November. You can watch theHis Dark Materialstrailer below, thanks to the HBO YouTube channel.
