The adventures of Lyra Belacqua will soon come to life as BBC's newest drama series. Lyra is the main character for Philip Pullman's acclaimed trilogy, "His Dark Materials." The books, aimed at both children and adults are set in a world where science, theology, and magic are intertwined and Lyra must travel between parallel dimensions to save her friend.
Previously already adapted into a movie starring Daniel Craig and Nicole Kidman in 2007 entitled "The Golden Compass," (the American title of the first book in the series, "Northern Lights") first published in 1995) the movie did not do well at the box office which prompted the studio to cancel the planned two sequels.
The first book in the trilogy was followed up by "The Subtle Knife" and "The Amber Spyglass." All in all, "His Dark Materials" has sold over 17.5 million copies and has been translated into 40 different languages.
According to Polly Hill, Controller BBC Drama Commissioning, the books provide the BBC excellent material to bring compelling stories to their programs.
"It is an honour to be bringing Philip Pullman's extraordinary novels to BBC One. "His Dark Materials" is a stunning trilogy, and a drama event for young and old - a real family treat that shows our commitment to original and ambitious storytelling," she said.
Pullman as well is thrilled that his often controversial books have been chosen to be adapted into a television series that will be made in Wales. He hopes that the recent trend of fantasy storytelling on television, such as with shows like "Game of Thrones," will enable BBC One to develop the stories and characters from his books into one that audiences will connect with.
"It's been a constant source of pleasure to me to see this story adapted to different forms and presented in different media. It's been a radio play, a stage play, a film, an audiobook, a graphic novel - and now comes this version for television," he said.
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