The official movie blog has announced a live chat with Dakota Blue Richards (Lyra) for Wednesday, 19 December at 630pm ET to be hosted by Scholastic Kids. They have also uploaded video footage of press junket interviews with Nicole Kidman (Mrs. Coulter) and Daniel Craig (Lord Asriel) here.

The Broadcast Film Critics Association has honoured the film adaptation of The Golden Compass with two nominations for the 2007 Critics’ Choice Awards. Richards has been named for ‘Best Young Actress’ for her part as Lyra and the movie was nominated for ‘Best Family Film (Live Action)’. See all the nominees here.

The Los Angeles Times‘ Kenneth Turan praises the film’s efforts, declaring, ‘though it takes some doing, “The Golden Compass” retains enough tastes and traces of the original to fascinate and involve viewers.’ Also from the LA Times, Sam Adams takes a look at this season’s batch of fantasy films and the contemporary audience in attendance. Says director Chris Weitz, “One’s always tempted to go the rather stock route of saying it’s escapist fare, and we really need that now, but if you look at Lord of the Rings’ or ‘His Dark Materials,’ they’re not really escapist inasmuch as they deal, at least in analogy, with some of the things that are going on in politics and society.” Read more.