Today the Brisbane Times published a lengthy article by Valerie Lawson on the upcoming New Line film adaptation for The Golden Compass. “The $US150 million movie looks set to be box office gold for producer New Line Cinema, which also produced The Lord of the Rings.” It mentions the Oxford Literary Festival and also the magical literary environment of Oxford. In detailing the production history so far, producer Deborah Forte offers: “When you’re producing a film, you know you can’t hold the audience for too long. It’s all about making condensed choices.” Read more.
Lawson also features BridgetotheStars.net on page three. (“What do people’s daemons do when their humans have sex?”)
The Sydney Morning Herald ran the same article yesterday too….HDM has come to Australia! 😀
I suppose it was published across all Fairfax media publishings then.
Heh, they quoted us that of all things
I’m gonna be all nitpicky about this article… I’m sure the bad things are just journalists getting things wrong again, but I had to point them out.
“…two worlds as an Oxford of the 1920s with sci-fi elements, and the North as a parallel universe…” Well, no, they’re in the same world.
“…which only Lyra can understand.” Are they going to hype up this (somewhat incorrect) fact? I mean, -some- other people can read it. It’s just remarkable that she can do it without training.
“..the film’s visual effects supervisor, Michael Fink, (who directed the first Coca-Cola polar bear TV spot in the ’90s…” Does anyone else think that this is just hilarious? Armored bears and Coca-Cola bears!
“…the zeppelin (or “sky ferry”) that will transport Mrs Coulter, and two of the animals that are part of Lyra’s menagerie.” Animals, huh?
“Reading between the lines, it seems that Stoppard took the story into more complicated realms than New Line thought wise for a teenage audience.” I seem to remember that his script was more focused on the physics, right? That would have been interesting, but the story really is about Lyra.
“By the way, his own daemon, Pullman said, is a raven.” I thought he said a magpie before? I dunno. Does anyone have direct quotes on this subject?
he’s cited both magpie and raven and magpie-type birds before but usually it’s a magpie. see http://www.bridgetothestars.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=204737
otherwise… you have to give them a break, esp. if the journalist hasn’t read the books. lyra is technically the only character in TGC that can read the alethiometer isn’t she?
I think think that the Magisterium had someone who could read it with the aide of a book of readings.
It’s a fair shortening to say that only Lyra can read it; it’s not half as interesting to say “apart from a few other people here and there.” I like how one of the few forum names they picked out was Merlyn!
Interesting tidbit here:
“Dakota Blue Richards (her mother is an American anthropologist, which might explain the name)-“
so Ian McKellan’s not a big budget star? At least we can rest-assured that Forte is well acquainted with fantasy!
[quote=”Will”]I like how one of the few forum names they picked out was Merlyn![/quote]
And me, and me!!!
*feels particularly self-absorbed*
Gah, what happened to my quoting? Does it not work here? Sorry…