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.
This entry was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.




791 Responses to Lyra Cast and Movie to Begin Production

  1. orange says:

    what do you mean?? :wassat: there is a picture of her, but we arn't allowed to see it??????? 🙁

  2. smiley says:

    she means the people at new line got to see her picture…i think.
    c-i am a VERY dramatic oerson. jk. anyway, your cousins are so luck yif they come back w/ accents!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i don't think anna has emal yet. i don't want to asy all a said here, but i'll tell u i see you SUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    WEEKEND!!!!!!!!!!! FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :tongue: :tongue: :tongue: :tongue: :tongue: :tongue: :tongue: :tongue: :tongue: :tongue: :tongue: :tongue: :tongue: :tongue: :tongue: :tongue: :tongue: 😉 😉
    well, my name IS smiley!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 🙂

  3. smiley says:

    I'M HYPER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: :laughing: 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 :tongue: :tongue: :tongue: :tongue: :tongue: :tongue: :tongue: :tongue: :tongue: :tongue: :tongue: :tongue: :tongue: :tongue: :tongue: :tongue:
    as you can probably tell!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    !!!!!!!!!!!!

  4. mailto says:

    This is very strange….Production has begin, filming…and we don't know how Lyra looks!! And also we don't know who will be Lee Scoresby and Roger….

    I'm gone die……

  5. shannon says:

    like mailto says, it's been like FIVE days since they've started filming, and we still have't seen a pi of her!!!!!!!!! y can't it b the way Evanna lynch was executed to the public eye, when we were told a pic was on the same page!this is so unfair. i so want to know. i so want to know. i so want to know.

  6. shannon says:

    does any1 think dakota goes on this website?

  7. mailto says:

    I don't think so…She now is very busy to filming….But I think that it would be great if New Line open a website or minimum a picture of her….don't you think…..

  8. bex! says:

    i tried 2 audition 4 the part of lyra. thet took 30 girls in at a time. they asked us our name age and were we came frm and that was it.

  9. ann2 says:

    i wonder if they've even started filming cause we don't even know who roger is, and he's like almost a main character!!!!!!! at least they could give us a picture!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry:

  10. smiley says:

    stop being so mean, ann2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    they said they started filming, why would they lie?

  11. ann2 says:

    i'm not being mean!!!!!!!!!!!! :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry:

  12. situ says:

    I agree with Ann2, suerly they have started filming because hollywood reporter yesterday had an advert saying this, but is very, very strange the form of saying the caracthers ( no Roger, no Lee…) and also that we don't have any Dakota pictures yet….

    I want only a picture for figure how will look our heroine…..!

  13. Amz says:

    CALM DOWN, everyone! :laughing:
    Good luck again Sammy! And ye, the people who WORK there and are FILMING her and everyone – do you not think that they've SEEN her first? :laughing:

  14. ann2 says:

    THANK YOU, SITU!!!!!!!!!!!!!! at east someone agrees with me!!!!!! unlike you, smailey :angry:

  15. ann2 says:

    sorry smiley that last comment was kinda mean :wassat:

  16. Sammy says:

    hi! i am back from London! I GOT THROUGH TO THE DIRECTOR AND I READ WITH HIM!!!!! basicly i got through all of the stages! YEY!! 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

  17. situ says:

    Can you give us more information?? What was all?? What/who did you see??

    thanks!!

  18. Sammy says:

    i saw dan radcliffe getting out of a REALLY posh car! 🙂

  19. pontius says:

    You said that you have a web no?

  20. Sammy says:

    yes but i will make a new one and put the pics on that 😉

  21. pontius says:

    Thanks, I will enjoy it!!

  22. william says:

    Do you have any idea when your site will be launch….i'm looking foward to see your pictures!! Do you have any of the cast members??

  23. Sammy says:

    no :crying: i tryed though xoxox

  24. Sammy says:

    are you ALL from the US? 🙁

  25. william says:

    No! I'm from Barcelona 😉 Thanks for all!!

  26. Sammy says:

    its ok. i am making the site right now

  27. william says:

    Ok!! I will wait…….patiently…!!

  28. Sammy says:

    :laughing: :laughing:

  29. Sammy says:

    what time is it over there?

  30. william says:

    Now it's nine o'clock…..post meridium….And there?

  31. Sammy says:

    its 8:10pm in england :laughing:

  32. william says:

    Oh! It's true!! One hour less…. You have one hour more of life….. :tongue:

  33. Sammy says:

    :laughing: :laughing:

  34. Calypso says:

    Wow, Sammy you have a site?
    What is it for and when does it lauch?
    (Sorry if these questions have already been asked, I'm a bit slow.) 😉

  35. william says:

    And have you visit all the stages? What abaut the scenaries? How they were?

  36. Sammy says:

    i didnt see much senery, yes i do have a website (or quite a few :laughing:) xoxox

  37. Calypso says:

    What is your website's URL?

  38. orange says:

    hi again everyone!
    so, sammy… what were you auditioning for?? harry potter? if you were, i am seriously going to die of jelosy!
    if you did, you will have gotten to audition for my two favorite book series. 🙂

  39. Mischa says:

    I'm sending/sent a tape of me and Sammy went to the actual auditions. It's for a film called Inkheart. It's a major book trilogy ,too! Lots of luck to Sammy (and hopefully me 2!)

  40. Sammy says:

    thank you mischa! 🙂

  41. william says:

    Hey, Sammy, have you got the website finished???!!! :wassat:

  42. Sammy says:

    no it takes a while to finish one but i am 80% finished 😉 xoxox

  43. william says:

    Great!!! :tongue: :tongue:

  44. Sammy says:

    yes!! have you ever been to London? 🙂

  45. william says:

    Yes! 3 years ago….I love that city,i have all…I also want to study in London in the next two years….And you in Barcelona?

  46. Amz says:

    Hi 🙁

  47. Sammy says:

    no i haven't been to Barcelona :crying:, but i am going next year! are you 15 years old then?

  48. Amz says:

    SAMMY! :angry: 🙁

  49. william says:

    NO, I'm 21…. 😉 and you?

  50. Amz says:

    :angry:
    put it this way; she can audition for Meggie.
    Sammy, I need to talk to you someplace like now!!!!!*excitement*