The Golden Compass - December 2007

Based on author Philip Pullman’s bestselling and award-winning novel, The Golden Compass tells the first story in Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy. The Golden Compass is an exciting fantasy adventure, set in an alternative world where people’s souls manifest themselves as animals, talking bears fight wars, and Gyptians and witches co-exist. At the center of the story is Lyra (played by newcomer Dakota Blue Richards), a 12-year-old girl who starts out trying to rescue a friend who’s been kidnapped by a mysterious organization known as the Gobblers - and winds up on an epic quest to save not only her world, but ours as well.

Director: Chris Weitz
Writers :Chris Weitz (screenplay) and Philip Pullman (novel)
Genre: Sci-Fi / Fantasy / Novel-Based
Rating: PG-13

Casts:

• Nicole Kidman as Marisa Coulter
• Daniel Craig as Lord Asriel
• Dakota Blue Richards as Lyra Belacqua
• Ben Walker as Roger
• Freddie Highmore voice of Pantalaimon
• Ian McKellen voice of Iorek Byrnison
• Eva Green as Serafina Pekkala
• Jim Carter as John Faa
• Tom Courtenay as arder Coram
• Ian McShane voice of Ragnar Sturlusson
• Sam Elliott as Lee Scoresby
• Christopher Lee as First High Councilor
• Kristin Scott Thomas voice of Stelmaria
• Edward de Souza as Second High Councilor
• Kathy Bates voice of Hester

In a parallel Oxford, young Lyra Belacqua begins a dimension-crossing odyssey that builds from a merely atypical children's adventure into a complex (and frequently quite dark) philosophical epic.

Lyra Belaqua, living in Oxford's Jordan College, is not but a young girl living among scholars. Her world may seem diverse, from physical embodiments of souls that take the shape of an animal, but similar with people around you to become friends and enemies. She is thrown into a perilous adventure when she overhears a conversation of an extraordinary microscopic particle, Dust. This particle is said to unite different worlds, and is feared by many who want to destroy it forever. As Lyra is flung into the middle of this horrible struggle, she meets wondrous creatures both big and small, and villains who are not what they seem. Gobblers, that kidnap children, will turn out in the most unexpected places. And a magical compass of gold that will answer any question if one is skilled enough to read it. Lyra's adventure continues throughout these three books, and the first is about to be told.