Dakota Blue Richards has been cast in the lead role of Lyra Belacqua. Richards, 12 years old, landed the role after filmmakers conducted an extensive casting search. More than 10,000 young girls attended open calls in Oxford, Cambridge, Exeter, and Kendal, before Richards was chosen from the Cambridge call for a further audition and subsequent screen test.
Philip Pullman commented, “I'm delighted with the casting of Dakota Blue Richards as Lyra. As soon as I saw Dakota's screen test, I realized that the search was over. Dakota has just the combination of qualities that make up the complicated character of this girl, and I very much look forward to seeing the film take shape, with Dakota's Lyra at the heart of it.”
New Line have given the go ahead to production on [i]The Golden Compass[/i] film and filming will begin September 4th, for a scheduled November 16th, 2007 release date.
New Line Cinema Greenlights The Golden Compass for September 4 Start Date
12-year-old British schoolgirl to play Lyra in adaptation
of the first of Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy.
Film set for November 16, 2007 release date
LONDON (June 28, 2006) – New Line Cinema has officially greenlit production on The Golden Compass, the highly anticipated adaptation of the first of author Philip Pullman’s bestselling His Dark Materials trilogy, it was announced today by New Line’s Co-Chairmen and Co-CEOs Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne. Production on the $150 million-budgeted film is scheduled to begin September 4 in the UK, with Oscar-nominated writer/director Chris Weitz (About a Boy, Antz) at the helm.
“The Golden Compass is the most ambitious film that New Line has undertaken since The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and we have assembled a remarkable creative team, headed by Chris Weitz, to bring it to fruition,†comment New Line’s Shaye and Lynne.
Newcomer Dakota Blue Richards has been cast in the lead role of Lyra Belacqua. Richards landed the role after filmmakers conducted an extensive casting search throughout England, during which they saw more than 10,000 young girls. Open calls were held in Oxford, Cambridge, Exeter, and Kendal, before Richards was chosen from the Cambridge call for an audition and subsequent screen test.
“Dakota made what should have been an extremely difficult decision quite easy,†says writer/director Weitz. “We wanted a completely new face for Lyra, but I was surprised that any young girl, especially one without training, could light up the screen as Dakota does.â€Â
Pullman adds, “I’m delighted with the casting of Dakota Blue Richards as Lyra. As soon as I saw Dakota’s screen test, I realized that the search was over. Dakota has just the combination of qualities that make up the complicated character of this girl, and I very much look forward to seeing the film take shape, with Dakota’s Lyra at the heart of it.â€Â
Helping to bring The Golden Compass to the big screen will be an all-star production team that includes Oscar-winning production designer Dennis Gassner (Road To Perdition, Big Fish), Oscar-nominated costume designer Ruth Myers (L.A. Confidential, Emma), and Oscar-nominated visual effects supervisor Mike Fink (X-Men, X2, Road To Perdition).
The Golden Compass is being produced by Deborah Forte of Scholastic Entertainment and Weitz’s Depth of Field production company. Paul Weitz (an Oscar nominee for About a Boy) and Andrew Miano will serve as executive producers on the film. Bill Carraro will also serve as a producer on the film.
Based on the bestselling and award-winning Pullman novels, the His Dark Materials trilogy is comprised of The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass. It revolves around a young girl who travels to the far north to save her best friend. Along the way, she encounters shape-shifting creatures, witches, and a variety of otherworldly characters in parallel universes.
What does she look like?
Google has no pictures of her at all!
Hmph.
i know i need a picture! :laughing:
come on. is she shy or something? why can't we have a pic??????????????????
I need a pic and to know her age!! Now we have to wait for NICOLE *.*
Drano: She's twelve, n yeah I agree – hurry up with the pictures!!! I am kinda excited about it all, though. I mean – it's all kicking off now. It's finally happening!!! 🙂
i feel like screaming cos there's actually a Lyra now. out of excitement that is. they should of put up a pic of her though. she's leaving ppl ANNOYED.
When are they going to give us a picture? I wanna know if she looks the part. Do you think she will?
OH MY GOSH! That made my day. The thought that they actually have Lyra cast… 😀 and the fact that Philip Pullman likes her is just that much more comforting. At first when I read "Dakota" I thought "you've gotta be joking… not Dakota Fanning…" Mini heart attack. But this is the best news in ages ^-^
🙂 Congrats to Dakota! I'm really happy that everyone's happy with her, and that she's an unknown. It's just so hard to believe that she has already been cast…I wasn't expexcting anything til august.
holy crap, that was uncalled for
I was on the phone with my sister telling her how it's Figwit's birthday (if you're not a Ringer, don't bother asking) and the site loads and I start totally freaking out on her and murmuring to myself and babbling incoherently and she was like "woah, calm down" and WHERE IS HER FLIPPING PICTURE??????????????
haha, we got a different dakota! 🙂 but no picture? geez…….
Sorry, that was an excited flipping out, not an angry one :tongue:
Congratulations Dakota!!!!!
I'm so glad we finally have a Lyra! It's even better that Pullman likes her as well. It will be exciting to see are quickly the film progresses now. I'm curious to know who else will be cast…
i agree that its great pullman likes her. are they planning on shooting in order, or out like lotr? anybody know?
indeed, where is the picture..!?
New Line hasn't sent us a picture yet, and we haven't been able to find any existing ones online, since she really is an unknown. As for appearances though, Pullman was quoted today in the Guardian as saying: "She's absolutely marvellous – and she looks right. I know Lyra better than anyone. Looking like someone isn't a case of having blond hair and blue eyes: it's about bone structure; the way someone carries herself.
She is also a very good actress. At 12, she hasn't had time to be fully trained, but that was not what we were looking for. It a was question of getting someone who can be the part."
Darn it i cant find a picture at all of her! im just still in shock that they've found a Lyra already.
PP smiles and nods yet again.
does anybody know when New Line will be submitting pictures? and is it REALLy somebody called DAKOTA? i wanna MEET HER!!!!!!!! :angry: :crying: :angry:
KK – I am a New Line executive so I can tell you when you'll see a photo. Except I'm not going to.
Get real guys! I know you all want to see photos asap – but they're aren't any. Just relax, and check back here regularly. Merlyn is bound to get one soon 🙂
Oh man! I read that quick and thought it said Dakota Fanning! I nearly died. I can't wait for a pic :smile:.
! stupid over-analysis alert!
PP – "looking like someone isn't just about blonde hair and blue eyes. it's about bone structure, the way ther carry themselves."
implying that Dakota Blue Richard may not have blonde hair/blue eyes.
awesome! they had it on newsround (kids news)
i auditioned but i'm not really very lyra like. I'm glad they found someone! :laughing:
Ian says:
KK – I am a New Line executive so I can tell you when you'll see a photo. Except I'm not going to.
2 things:
– are you..?:smile:
– read the rules ian! nr. 1 (triple PUH) (wait, not the commandmens but that other ones :tongue:)
it is just BE NICE
and, well I don't want to go mad or something because there isn't a picture.. You can't do something about it, only waitin so.. lets wait..
and wait
and wait
I've wait enough, where is the PICTURREEE!!!!??
whaha :tongue:
No, I'll be patient.. (once :tongue:)
i rly rly NEED a picture. i spent the whole of scwl today staring at my exersise book and wondering what she looked like and whether she could act.
which. she should be able too. i consequently got yelled at by a lot of teachers today.
see. when i'm worried i get yelled at by the teachers which means my mums yells at me. which is y we need a picture!!!!!!!!!
hey, i wonder if Dakota ever visited btts????
HEY DAKOTA IF YOUR THERE!!!!!!!!!!!
🙂 🙂 🙂
hey, where we can find a PIC of Dakota?! I want to see her!
this is desperate,
Ian i don't know if i believe you, but just tell me WHEN WE GET PICTURES and THEN i will stopping bugging you.
..bugging begins now.
Guys – there was some sarcasm in what I said. Just be patient. I'm sure Merlyn or Will will be sent photos soon. If filming starts in September, we're bound to see her sooner rather than later.
so ian, if your something to do with the film/lyra buisness then can you please get a pic of her, come on, a girl got shouted at. this is making girls al down the country go insane.
ian- please at least try and get a pic. if dekota or whatever is camera shy then do u really think she's gonna go down well with the public? so please poswade someone to take her pic.
quinnyqueen, why would Ian have a picture.. if no other site or nobody else has one..?
just be patient.. (I know it is hard..:tongue:)
whaha
Honestly, you lot.
Be patient and wait for the photographs. We are all obviously slightly nervous and anticipating what she looks like. I'm sure she looks brilliant- Phillip Pullman said so himself.
I hope she really really wanted the part, she isnt just someone who went to an audition just because she looks like her or she wants to be a child millionare.
Now just wait.. any day now a photo will be released.
And i hig
:angry: :angry: :angry: :angry:
hey – Hazel's right!
SHE MIGHT NOT HAVE WANTED THE PART MORE THAN THE MILLIONS!!!!!!!!!!!
-sorry Hazel, couldn't resist.
but it IS a problem…
Is she so ugly or why doesn´t she want to show her face?? :angry: Hey Dakota, we´re waaaaiting!!!
My goodness people. You make it sound like it's her fault she's not online.
Seriously, she's not the one who puts up her picture; don't blame Dakota.
Anyways, we're all waiting for it, just be patient.
Some of the people posting here are being ridiculously childish and mean spirited. If she's a new face (and hasn't made any film yet) then there wont be any pictures of her out. Simple as that, wait and be a little more welcoming! Can you imagine what she might think if she started reading these posts? Talk about discouraging . .
she'd think that were all out to get her! and will be hiring 24/7 body guards just in case SOME people come to get her! well if she reads these i wish her luck. be a good lyra 🙂
I am happy for her. I, of course, wish I was the one chosen for the part.
I just hope that she does a wonderful job. And I am sure that she will. I just bet she needs support now, so those of you who are 'mourning,' stop. I bet she is nervous enough the way it is.
pack of wild dogs, the lot of you
Why are little blond-haired blue-eyed girls always named Dakota? I'm just worried about Will and if they can pull off the end of the end of The Amber Spyglass without tonig it down or screwing it up.
Yo Dakota! If you're out there, I wonder if you've read the books. If you have, make the fans at http://www.bridgetothestars.net proud!
yeah guess we should all calm down. i suppose its the shock of them casting somebody, i don't know about the rest of you but i wasent actually expecting it, so when i saw they'd cast somone, i kinda flipped. lol.
i know all i could think was "begoodbegoodbegood!" :laughing: i really wish her the best and i hope that she does a better job of it than anyone could.
I´m sorry i didn´t mean to be rude or so :laughing:
I know it´s not her fault and i´m sure she will be a great lyra
you lot are right, we should make dakota welcome.
Yeah :laughing:
I'll just calm down when I see her pic. really, i'm getting CRAZY with this girl! Last night I had a nightmare with her, I just can't remember what happen 8D but i'm sure it was a nightmare – I woke up shouting things! XD