As the release date for His Dark Materials draws closer, fans have good reason to feel sceptical about this second attempt to bring Philip Pullman’s incredible fantasy trilogy to life.
We’ve been burned before, you see.
Hollywood took a stab at it in 2007 with The Golden Compass. The film glossed over the complex religious commentary of the novels, messed with the plot in unforgivable ways, and cast a child to play Lyra – whom most of us wanted to send home to her parents with her phone privileges taken away.
The biggest mistake that they made with the film was the attempt to make it kid-friendly. His Dark Materials, which is made up of Northern Lights, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass, isn’t kid-friendly. It’s complex, multifaceted, and somewhat adult storytelling at its best.
Thankfully, screenwriter Jack Thorne has pulled off what none of us thought was possible.
His Dark Materials is, simply put, brilliant. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the storyline, here’s a brief summary.
Lyra’s search for a kidnapped friend uncovers a sinister plot involving stolen children, setting off a quest through parallel worlds to understand a mysterious phenomenon called Dust. The story moves at a gripping pace guaranteed to keep you hooked and wanting more.
The fantasy’s cast includes child stars Dafne Keen and Amir Wilson as Lyra and Will, supported by Golden Globe winner Ruth Wilson (The Affair, Luther), Golden Globe nominees James McAvoy (X-Men), Lin-Manuel Miranda (Mary Poppins Returns), and BAFTA winner Helen McCrory (Harry Potter, The Queen).
Oscar-winner Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech) is one of the directors.
Fans of the books will be happy to know that Thorne has remained true to the story. But before you think you can anticipate every twist and turn, you should know that he’s also expanded some of the storylines, so that even the most diehard fans will be kept guessing.
The trailer gives you a first look at some of the main characters:
You’ll be able to watch His Dark Materials, first on Showmax, with new episodes weekly, starting on November 6, 2019.
For those who are already DStv Premium subscribers, you can add Showmax for free.
Not a Premium subscriber? No problem, you can sign up for the FREE 14-day trial here.
If you’ve been looking for something to fill the hole left by Game of Thrones, you’ve just found it.
