Lyra Cast and Movie to Begin Production
Posted on by Ian

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.

Read more.

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.”

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.”

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.

About Ian

A keen fan of His Dark Materials and Philip Pullman. Assistant to Paul Temple and Sir Graham Forbes.
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791 Responses to Lyra Cast and Movie to Begin Production

  1. Hazel' says:

    SSSSEEEBBBYYY!!!

  2. Sebastien says:

    xD aww we havent seen each other for so super long.
    how you doing, beautiful?

  3. Amz(still in shock at what sammy did) says:

    Same person?
    Yes, thought so. Each exactly 4 inutes apart.

  4. Hazel says:

    I'm doing mighty fine, thaaankyou.
    And yourself?
    Listen sexy seb,
    we aren't keeping on topic here.
    We should try and keep on topic really. its what the rules say.
    Tell me something in relation to HDM.
    pretty please xD

  5. Seb says:

    Amz, why do you think that?
    Haze' and i are psycic. or however you spell it, i'm not too good on spelling =) i don't know how us being psycic (or however it's spelt) will make us post 4 mins apart. But you don't know, it might be 4 mins 50 secs apart, or 4 mins 1 sec i post and hers different. Who knows. Anyway, we're being offtopic. Something His Dark Materials-y… i dont know =(

  6. Hazel says:

    Seb I'm going to come round later, so we needn't talk here. or we can talk on msn, where there aren't weirdos accusing us of being the same persn xD

    Aaanyway
    speak to you on msn, per favore?
    xxx

  7. Amz says:

    (God, you're the weirdo Hazel)…bye!
    🙂

  8. Sammy says:

    Amz, what did I do exactly?

  9. Sammy says:

    ……….hello? :wassat:

  10. Dakota's #3444444 fan says:

    hi c! i'm getting the you know which book out of the library today. i'm hyper!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
    i'm crazy today! sorry people. something about hdm. ummmmmm……..the books are good!!!!!!!!!!!!!! REALLY REALLY good, actually!

  11. Dakota's #3444444 fan says:

    soory people you must think i'm crazy. but i'm not.
    this is really fun. i'm sitting at the computer eating cheezits and doing fun stuff while i'm supposed to be doind hw. i also have the spanish alphabet stuck in my head. cause i had spanish today!

  12. Amz says:

    :crying:

  13. Sammy says:

    HELLLLLLLOOO! i am hyper to!!!! I LOVE ???? SOOOOOOOOO MUCH! 🙂

  14. Amz(me) says:

    Never guess who i love lmfaoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
    oooooo :laughing:

  15. Amz says:

    where has sammy gone????
    I'm so happpppppppppppppyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!
    *Dies in pain cos of terrrible disease*

  16. Sammy says:

    are you hyper amz? xoxox :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

  17. Mad Larkin says:

    Hello just here very quickly to say I wo't be here this weeked so seriously e-mail me, you all have my e-mail adress BYE 🙂

  18. Bopy says:

    I'm sorry Sammy, I just can't do it. :crying:
    My parents can go to your party to chaperone, but if they do I won't be there.

  19. Mad Larkin says:

    Ok you brought this on your own head
    WWWWWWWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
    OOOOTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT I can be hyper too ya know WOOT :laughing: :tongue: 🙂

  20. Mad Larkin says:

    (Ducks for flying objects)Hea hem soory about that but as I said I can be hyper too ya know :laughing:

  21. Mad Larkin says:

    (Stand up rubing my face)Who threw that!?That was a hard back copy of the amber spyglass!Any who I have to go very very shortly but please please please send your e-mails Give me a reason to have an e-mail address I'm going in bout 2 mins but hopfully I'll be ack tomorrow after that next weekend

  22. Mad Larkin says:

    Ok guys got to go bye all

  23. Amz says:

    I hope you don't mind me asking, but WHEN exactly are you going? :wassat: :laughing:

  24. Sammy says:

    you can't come to my halloween party!! :crying: :crying: :crying:

  25. bop[abkk]hale says:

    no. I can't go if they go. i can't do the kareoke and what happens with me and 1.4? It's either one…i'm so sorry :crying: :crying: :crying:

  26. Mischa says:

    Ooooh! Which book, Dakota's #3444444 fan? I LOVE to read! Was it Inkheart?

  27. hannah says:

    is it me or is amz being nasty to sammy, amz is such a freak!!

  28. Amz says:

    what, who are you? That's so mean! :crying:

  29. orange says:

    🙂 :smile:hi everyone!! i'm back. i'm sure everyone missed me. :laughing:
    so, what did i miss? DOES ANYONE HAVE A PICTURE OF DAKOTA YET, BECAUSE I SWEAR I'M ABOUT TO BLOW UP!!!!!!!
    hi n! sorry i havn't been here for a while. i've just been sooooo busy.
    does anyone have any new exciting news about the movie?? 🙂

  30. Amz says:

    I love myself so much!

  31. orange says:

    what?? :wassat:

  32. Dakota's #3444444 fan says:

    I AM GOING TO BLOW UP TO!!!!!!!!!!!! I CAN'T BELEVE THERE IS NO PICTURE YET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    anyway, Mischa it's a book by tamora peirce (i think that's how you spell her name). her books are ok, but my friend LOVES them. i LOVE to read to. have you read eragon? i'm reading it now. it's SO good!!!!!!!!!!!
    and yes, orange, we missed you so much. :crying: while you were having fun at that cool place where you got to do a ropes course. and i was in school, taking tests :angry:
    anyway, bye people. i have to go study for a test tomorrow. my teachers are obsessed with giving tests, even though they are the AWESOMEST teachers in the WHOLE ENTIRE WIDE world.

  33. joanne says:

    im happy with the cast especially Daniel Craig as Lord Asriel but isnt mrs coulter supposed to have like black hair, i dont know if nicole kiddman could pull off dark hair :wassat: anyways i cant wait till it comes out, does anyone know the release date?

  34. Mad Larkin says:

    (Explodes and reforms)Whats with the Lack of pictures?! :angry:

  35. Bill The Kid (I Hate Larkin) says:

    That Mad Lakin is an idot I RELLY HATE HIM are you guys with me? :angry:

  36. Amz(the REAL Amz) says:

    WHO WAS THAT??????? No WAY did I write 'I love myself!'!!!!!!!!!
    Whoever it is is DEAD!!!!!! :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry:

  37. Bill The Kid (I Hate Larkin) says:

    I hate Larkin ssssssssssooooooooooo much :angry:

  38. KittyKat: says:

    Oh LEAVE IT, will you?!

  39. Bill The Kid (I Hate Larkin) says:

    Nope not until that ass leaves here for good! :angry:

  40. Sammy says:

    now why don't we all calm down, so why do you hate him so much? what has happend? 🙂

  41. orange says:

    woah!! i dont even know who mad larken is, but that still was cruel. i think they should make somekind of thing so that people can't use the same name as other people. i mean, there was that whole thing with'mischa' and all that.
    oh well.
    hi n! my teachers are SOOOOO obsessed with tests, but my teachers are awsomer than yours!!! (heehee) oh, and funny you mention song of the lioness (ha, ha, ha!!) *laughs sooo hard that she starts to cry* :laughing:

  42. Dakota's #3444444 fan says:

    yeah, people shouldn't be able to post as different people or evryones going to hate each other eventually.
    and EXCUSE ME, ORANGE!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MY TEACHERS ARE WAY WAY WAY WAY WAY AWSOMER AND COOLER THEN YOURS!!!!!!!!!!hOW DARE YOU INSULT MY TOTALLY AWESOME TEACHERS LIKE THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!! I WILL NEVER SPEAK TO YOU AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! just kidding.
    by the way, people, i know "orange", so don't think i am a really mean person or anything because she knows i don't mean it!
    also, yeah, at the mention of that book, i started laughing so hard that i was crying. one time in math last year, annie said cloack (c, you know what that means, even if noone else does) and i started laughing so hard i was like sobbing and evryone was looking at me REALLY weirdly!
    AND MY TEACHERS ARE BETTER THEN YOURS, ORANGE, SO UMP! (you know-ump, ump, ump)
    i need a picture. goodbye everybody. it was nice "knowing" you *explodes/blows up*

  43. mogglemoose says:

    I'm pretty sure dat Dara Mckeagney guy (mad larkin) won't get the part of Will. Why does that guy hu slags him off hate him (mystery?) and Will wouldn't say stuff like "laugh my fat arse off!"

  44. orange says:

    SSSSSSSOMEONE PUT PICTURES OF DAKOTAAAAAA :angry: :angry: :angry:

  45. Sammy says:

    I know we all want pictures of Dakota, but the director and producers will have a good reason why they havn't put her on, now why can't we all be nice to each other? friends are better than enimies!

  46. Amz says:

    Yeah, and I still can't believe the person pretending to be me…BTW, Sammy, who were you with when you said you were with a mate all one evening?

  47. Sammy says:

    why? :wassat:

  48. Jack says:

    hello people, hello sammy I am your friend from new zealand, remember? 🙂

  49. orange says:

    ahhhh!!!!!!! someone just posted a coment as me!! see, they should have it so no one can use your name!!!! who ever you are… don't use my name again!!

  50. nick says:

    hi my name is nik.. i went to dakotas old infant school.. she went to my playgroup and everything… i remember her so clearly we were best frinds