The Golden Compass director Chris Weitz sends this message directly to all Sraffies
“Dear fans of His Dark Materials,
For the past three years I (and a gigantic cast and crew of fans of the books) have been working to adapt The Golden Compass (aka Northern Lights). As you can imagine, the process can be both exhausting and exhilarating, and full of both challenges and surprises. Sometimes you discover reasons to modify the chronology or narrative path of the books in a way that serves the movie and the trilogy better.
I have decided, along with Scholastic and New Line and, most importantly, Philip Pullman, to shift the concluding three chapters of Book I of His Dark Materials to the beginning of the second film of our trilogy, The Subtle Knife.
To me, this provides the most promising conclusion to the first film and the best possible beginning to the second.
It has always been my main concern to portray Lyra’s world and her adventures with integrity. Throughout this process I have been in close contact with Philip Pullman; and I would not be doing this without his approval. As Philip has said, His Dark Materials is not three stories but one story – the story of Lyra. And where we pause to take a breath in the telling of it is a matter of choice and taste. But I hope that when fans see the film they will find their fears put to rest and their hopes fulfilled. For the film to be judged on its own merits is all that I can ask for.
Many thanks for your time. I believe you will find The Golden Compass a fit tribute to His Dark Materials when it comes out in December; and in the meanwhile promise to work diligently on burnishing its details and providing a solid footing for the launch of The Subtle Knife.
Very Best
Chris Weitz”
Philip Pullman has responded with this message of his own:
“The ending makes every kind of narrative sense. The National Theatre production ended the first part plumb in the middle of The Subtle Knife, and nobody minded that because in the only terms that mattered it worked brilliantly. Every film has to make changes to the story that the original book tells – not to change the outcome, but to make it fit the dimensions and the medium of film. I’m very happy with the work the filmmakers have done, and no-one wants this film to succeed more, or believes in it more firmly, than I do.”
WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?! My faith in the judgment of Philip Pullman is being seeeeeeeriously tested right now. I don’t even know what to think. Does this mean no bridge to the stars? No Roger dying? No betrayal? I really really don’t understand how this is going to work. My brain hurts.
I would assume it just means that instead of finishing the film as book 1 ends, they will have that scene occur and then add in the first few chapters of Subtle Knife in order to introduce Will’s character to the audience and show the intersection of parallel universes. I don’t have a problem with that at all. I teach The Golden Compass and students are always sort of “left hanging” at the end of that text and I have thought for years that giving them a glimpse of Will’s character at the end would actually keep the interest in reading/seeing more intact while at the same time, letting everyone know a glimpse of Will and his world (our world) and see how it begins to intersect. I really don’t have a problem with it if that’s how they plan to do it, and I think it is nice to see the director and Pullman taking the time to address the fans of the series. They could have simply ignored everyone, but they didn’t.
Hold on I misread it–well now I am confused too. So they are ending it early. Well, I’ll have to think about that one… Ignore my earlier comment–sorry I’m still half asleep, I guess!! Need to go get my book and take a look at this.
Well, personally I think doesn’t work at all. The conclusion of this story (golden compass) have no sence without the final scenes. The purpouse of the movie won’t have sense. What is Lord Asriel doing so, at the begining of the story?
For me they have ruined the movie-
We’ll see how this works out. I like, however, how both Pullman and Weitz took the time to actually tell the fans about it instead of surprising them.
Well they took the time to dont’ loss money…It’s all marketing!
The have to assure the fans are calmed…
Ok I went back and looked through the text and I do think it is horrible. I like that they took the time to address the fans but I do think that is motivated by marketing. If they are worried that fans will be terribly disappointed, to the point that they won’t see the film, then they wanted to try to assuage fears now to make sure that they do see the film.
As far as making perfect narrative sense, it simply does not. I have to disagree with them. This film will have no resolution. There will be no “major” betrayal. That is the whole point of the text–that Lyra betrays without knowing it. In addition, Mrs. Coulter will never meet up with Lord Asriel (till the next film) so there will be no key scene at the end with the two competing entities trying to gain control. You need those polar opposites–you need them to show that the line between good and evil is constantly shifting–that’s a major part of the story.
So it’s going to end with a bear fight? But the entire notion of parallel universes, which the text begins with, will not even be addressed by the end? I just don’t get it. I think it is a terrible idea that seems like it came out of a screening audience’s wish to have a big fight scene in the end instead of the real heart of the story end it. The thing is that they have obviously shot the ending because we’ve seen all manner of clips from it on the trailer, which suggests to me that they are bowing to a screening audience’s wish (or the studio’s) wish to end on a totally different note.
Bring it on doomsayers!
I’m not worried.
Susan, I think you wrote: ‘”So it’s going to end with a bear fight?'” We have no idea where the end point will be. No one here has read the script, so to start guessing what is taken out and where things begin and end is pointless.
Don’t you guys understand that Pullman himself says it makes narrative sense? HDM IS ONE STORY. How it is put onto film remains to be seen.
I think the changes in LotR were vastly different from the books, but I still enjoyed the films heartily. Not that everyone else has too, of course, just my thoughts.
I’m completely contrary to this…I agree at what susan has said. Will have no sense…
So…critics will eat this movie…
I just wanted to add something to my earlier post. I WILL be ticked off if the film is not good: if the changes make a mess of the central story and Pullman’s philosophy. But I’ll wait and make that judgment over a big box of popcorn when it comes out.
its ruined, the new eragon its coming, congrats new line.:D
Do we have any sources for these quotes? Are those sources reliable? Perhaps from Weitz’ and Pullman’s official websites?
Ooooookkkaaay… O_O I’m getting a bit scared now. Will hte movie still be coming out on the seventh day of December, this year, then?
It’s all very annoying…So sad if it’s true…The source is hisdarkmaterials.org. They said they recibed a letter from weitz. Do you thing this is a reliable source??
Because in the trailer you can see the ending…
If this it’s true, this film will be very, very bad……Like tato said, the new eragon is comming….
eep!
the closer it gets to the opening the fearful i get.
i can understand changes from books to movies in LOTR Tom bombadil was cut— well i think mainstream audiences were not ready for such a character, certain characters were replaced Arwen on horse instead of the other elf guy– not much females in LOTR– and the story was shifted moved around somewhat (Boromir)….
but the ending of Norther Lights is a nail bighting ending. It would be good if they show a bit of Will at the end of the Golden compass- as Susan said i think it’s a good idea to put the first few chapters of the Subtle Knife in the mix.
Philip Pullman is rock solid–if he doesn’t like something he’d say it– i’ll trust in that.
Calm down, everyone! I think the main reason to change track here is to provide the second film with a bit more input of what I shall term “action scenes”. Arguably, many of the things happening in The Subtle Knife, which I love, are just Will and Lyra talking, which does not lend itself too easily to adaptation on the big screen.
As a matter of fact, I have believed since reading the books for the very first time that the first chapters of The Amber Spyglass will end up in the end of the second movie, because rescuing Lyra from the cave provides a more satisfactory conclusion to that film.
With The Lord of the Rings, several chapters changed movies as well. And you cannot say that didn’t work.
I think with everything we’ve seen so far from the movie, Chris Weitz earned the benefit of doubt, in particular if this move is sanctioned by Pullman himself.
I am not worried.
just re-read the letter i like the sound of this
“providing a solid footing for the launch of The Subtle Knife”
“providing a solid footing for the launch of The Subtle Knifeâ€ÂÂ
I also like the sound of this, but if this means, cutting the final scenes of the golden compass, then no. If they want to provide a solid footing for the launch of the subtle knife, all they have to do is keep the thinkg like in the book, come on, no Roger’s death?? This is for having a happy ending…
yea, this is crap. i was looking forward to the last scene more than anything. if the other 2 movies come out and are good, then maybe i wont worry so much, but if it does bad then we might not get those scenes on subtle knife bc the subtle knife movie wont exist.
i like the whole trilogy, but i LOVE golden compass and am more angry than anything at this change. someone tell me where to complain to these guys at! enough of us tell them, theyll see the error of their ways. the movie is made for us, so we should definitely have the right to tell them we dont want our favorite story altered
how can we adress to new line?
Dear Chris Weitz,
This is an appalling decision. The end of The Golden Compass is one of the most perfect endings to any book, ever. Without the catharsis provided by the final scene, the rest of the film will not have one tenth as much power. That scene was what gave the rest of the story its weight. Iorek is a wonderful character, but his plotline is still tangential to the main story, namely LYRA’S STORY. Having the film climax with the Iorek’s battle marginalizes Lyra and doesn’t provide any sort of satisfying resolution to the main plot.
The beginning of Subtle Knife will also be harmed, since we’ll start out by watching something that feels like it belongs in the last movie, and shifting partway through to Will’s perspective will be jarring, and not in a good way.
Chris Weitz, you cannot agree with this decision. If the studio is simply afraid to end the film with the death of a child, fight them. Don’t give the story a false and unsatisfying happy ending. Please do not let them do this to your film.
If this decision is indeed final, I will likely not see the film in theatres; it would just be too frustrating. I will wait patiently for the director’s cut with the final scenes intact and Nonso Anozie as Iorek, so I can watch the film as it was intended to be seen. For the moment, this is tremendously disappointing.
Very best,
A Fan of His Dark Materials
http://www.newline.com/contactus.shtml
This is a contact form to New Line… Please voice your concerns now!
So here’s my take on the subject:
Bottom Line: Terrible decision… The major concern for this film from the beginning is that the general population would see it as just another children’s fantasy film like the others that have been so overproduced since the LOTR and Potter series have been put to film and have not lived up to the depth and artistic standard set by those real, enthralling masterpieces of literature (HDM books included, my personal favorite!)… Now that the film will be losing its resolution and overall point (Lyra going in search of Dust, Asriel’s explanation of Dust and universes at the end, etc.) this movie, standing alone, will be no more than a simple adventure story for kids… the thing we all feared from the beginning! New Line is bringing about its own demise. They are essentially removing the entire underlying plot from the first movie! Basically we will see Asriel in the Retiring Room and hear about Dust, and then… nothing. I can see the point in moving the scenes to add more action to TSK but if this movie does not succeed, then there will be no Subtle Knife. New Line has stated more than once that they will not even consider making the other movies unless TGC is successful. Remember that this movie is the biggest and most expensive project in New Line’s history (this are the people who brought you the Matrix, people)… millions and millions of dollars. so needless to say, they will be expecting an even greater return in profit before making another… So needless to say, by degrading it to a simple children’s BEAR adventure story (not Lyra’s story), they are lowering themselves to the level they feared to be in from the beginning. Something must be done. Please voice your opinions to New Line! I wish that independent film companies would be well funded enough to make this film so that we dont have to stoop to this level!
Thanks! I have write a leter to new line, so people, write one… With more letters, better!ª
Would anyone be interesting in helping petition New Line?
Hey guys, just so you know (as I heard some speculation about the source coming from one or two of you). The news comes straight from the horses mouth, so to speak, direct to us from Chris Weitz and Philip Pullman.
I can’t help worrying that the studio may be interfering far too much here, though this is just my own speculation of course. I guess we’ll just have to see the film ourselves and find out what they’ve really done before we all work ourselves into too much of a frenzy over it. Who knows, it may be good or it may be bad, but at least we’ll always have the magic of the books.
Why are the people complaining the loudest the ones who speak/type the WORST comprehension of English?
I’m thrilled with the trailer. The changes to the ending might be good, might be bad. I still wanna see the film. So do you. Anyone saying otherwise is a Silvertongue and will be fed to the Gobblers.
please someone make a petition, i promisse i´ll make everything i know sign. new line think think that the fanbase of hdm its little; let show to THEM. someone please make a petition, ok?i already send my message and in the oficial blog you can guys post too in the post of the new trailer.
i totally agree with blain, i always wanted to see this so much cause its different from all those crapy adaptations books for children, without no intense material. new line just cut the MOST important part. i think with this they are killin the adult audience, dont you think?and this is BAD. i dont wanna another narnia, PLEASE. with this i´ll not be surprised if they rated golden compass as PG.
the changes might be BAD. i dont think a person is a real fan of the books if accepts this and think that some other end cab be GOOD when we have already the final ending, its just sad. PLEASE MAKE LOUDER.
Before any of us go spouting out “the movie is total crap!,” perhaps we should reserve judgement until we actually *watch the movie*. Director Chris Weitz, himself a fan, has told us to be patient, and has even gone out of his way to explain why he’s making this decision. He’s been outspoken when the studio has forced a change on him before (e.g., the casting of McKellen), so that may not be the case here. Pullman himself has reaffirmed his trust in the filmmakers and endorsed the decision.
Let’s hold off on the petitions for now. I’m all for a “wait and see” approach.
I find it difficult to jump to any conclusions, because all adaptations never follow the source material exactly as it is. Yes, they’re cutting out the final three chapters, but who’s to say that the movie will end the way the fourth-to-last chapter does? I’m just as angry about all this, but I do believe Chris Weitz has something up his sleeve and will not leave the film feeling incomplete.
i would like to hear what HOMER has to say bout this….what if this altered ending is really a good thing for the movie after all?
Hang on…lyra’s betrayl as mentioned by the witches prophecy is her betraying pantalaimon by leaving him at the land of the dead…nothing to do with roger. i agree that ending it early doesn’t make a lot of sense…surely you take away all the drama at the end…there’s no climax! the whole point of the end of northern lights is that she vows to find dust and find roger, it’s all about her determination to get away from her parents and carry on. i also think it’s a shame that presumably the second film won’t start with will as the book does, i like that we get to know him almost before he even meets lyra…it makes him his own person sort of. i mean lyra isn’t mentioned until after we have a whole chapter on will in the second book. i suppose they could edit the scenes together, could be interesting…the scene on the mountain and will’s torment with his mother. i think we really need to wait and see where the film ends. i have total faith in philip pullman, i don’t for one second think he would mess about with the story unless it worked…he certainly wouldn’t talk to the fans about it either.
yeh anyway i think we just need to wait and see, however i think the end will be a total anti climax without the last three chapters as the end of the book is the clear end of one section of her story and the clear beginning of another!
we have to adress our thougts to new line! Come on people!
*sigh* It’s “OMG The Two Towers movies isn’t ending with Shelob!!” outcry all over again.(and we all know what a disaster THAT turned out to be).
Poor Weits: damned if you do… Writing a letter to a few fan sites does not qualify as ‘marketing” – that’s when a committee of people with degrees spend $1.3 million to find out what colour M&M girls between 17 and 23 1/4 like best – one would be charitable enough to call it a courtesy.
The fact of the matter is this man is a film-maker, who currently is living and breathing one project with one goal: to make the film work. And unless you actually have experience in the nuts & bolts making of a film then you really can’t make the call on how the film maker comes to his decisions. I’m sure all those scenes were shot, I’m sure they all were in some edit at some point – and for whatever reason the director (and editor, and producers etc) have realised that they don’t belong in the film that they are making. And that is all here is to it.
The books are intact – Pullman’s works are there for all – This is a Chris Weitz film, and he can only make the film as he sees is right. As reader I to am disappointed, but if it means the film is more cohesive as a single film, then that means it will more likely be a success and the missing chapters will make it to the screen at later date.
Woody: What most people feel, however, is that this hasn’t been Weitz’s decision to make. Peter Jackson had a great deal of control over Lord of the Rings (especially after the first film was such a success, when editing on TTT and RotK would be taking place) and I just don’t see Weitz as having that much power within New Line. I don’t especially remember much of an outcry over Shelob being moved to RotK either. Most people thought it made sense, since Frodo and Sam wouldn’t really have much to do in the film otherwise. Keeping LotR exactly the same as the book would have been awful – in the books the two plot strands (Frodo and Aragorn) are totally separated!
The fact that we can plainly *see* scenes from the removed last three chapters in the trailer released only this week suggests that something has gone wrong somewhere. We already know the film is at least $50 million over budget and there have been various rumblings that post-production is in a real crunch; so I don’t think this is simply a story-telling reshuffle.
The film could still be good of course, and there’s no reason an ending after the rescue of the children Bolvangar and the bear-fight – which is where the film is now ending – can’t be good, but a lot of things will be lost and it’s hard to see how that can’t affect the film.
Lord Asriel won’t make a return at the end of the film – Lyra won’t meet with him in the north. This doesn’t leave Daniel Craig with much in the film at all. There’ll be no kiss between Craig and Nicole Kidman – we won’t get that lovely shot of them embracing in front of the red aurora, shown in earlier trailers. We won’t get Roger’s death. We won’t get the bridge to the stars – the audience won’t even get the parallel worlds they’re promised!
I know this will sound horribly rude and you might think as well that I am a rude person, but sorry…
CHRIS WEITZ IS A SON OF A &!@%$! I HAAAAAAAAATE HIM!
Sorry, that las thing was an exaggeration, but he’ll blow the chances of many kids who have hope on being Will on the movie.
PS: I agree with tato ,let’s make a petition.
I do agree with you there Will… I am a TV/Film student and have studied what some of the above call “the nuts and bolts” of filmmaking. It is an unimaginably extensive process. But what I believe we are seeing here, based on past interviews with Chris Weitz, is a “chopping block” decision made by, not the director, but the production team (producers, editors, marketing). This was not a CREATIVE decision at all, which falls under the responsibility of the director. These canges, due to the timing of the announcement and how far into the post process they are, were purely based on marketing, money aspects and demographic appeal (obviously the producers are looking to simplify the plot and “happy it up” for the kiddos). New Line has had a dirty, dirty past in doing this to their projects, which is why they are in the financial crunch they are in now. I wish we would have seen a studio outside the TimeWarner franchise produce these films… Anyway, the fact that the scenes being removed actually made it past the animation process (as we see in the trailer) purely reflect this decision was based on hollywood greed.
wheres the petition?:D
Sign me in for that petition…
A clear marketing move it was, made by the NLC production team completely – as Will and Blain described so well.
Don’t know why Pullman endorsed this but, with the information we have so far, this change still doesn’t make any sense in the narrative: it makes for a “cleaner” ending for sure (no kids dying, no big complicated physics information, no “polar opposites” that “show that the line between good and evil is constantly shifting”), but quite a more unsatisfying one as well (no conclusion, no meeting with Asriel, no “betrayal”).
Now I just realised something: people, remember when you thought that *that* betrayal was *the* betrayal until, years later, you found out that it wasn’t? Now there won’t be ANY betrayal AT ALL for anybody to think ANYTHING… Nice, eh? The Master’s comment is going to look very out of place when the final credits start rolling…unless they cut that off as well… Seems that the only way to fix it would be reprising that comment after the credits, as a “to be continued…” strategy – which still would be weird. Just throwing thoughts in the hat.
Sad to see such a great book go down in such a mess for the silver screen.
thanks for the support everyone! Hopefully, we will be getting a petition written up within the next few days so we can submit it to New Line before the post process ends… If you are interested or if you have some helpful info. please send it to me:
bcroft919@gmail.com
This movie will be devoid of shade if they retain the current ending and remove the “Tony Makarios and The Fish” segment – and if they do this for the first movie then god alone knows how much they will cut out from the second. Honestly, if they don’t have the guts to show a child being killed by the protag’s father, then will they have the guts to show the witch being tortured, etc. I think not!
Based on what went on online before Weitz’s statement was released, it’s clear that this is not an editorial decision, but one necessitated by the top brass of New Line Cinema due to test audience reasons. They have been way too many compromises made on this movie. I want to see His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass, preferably in it’s Director’s Cut. I will NOT pay a dime to see His Lite Materials: The Golden Compass in Shaye’s Sheared Edition.
His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass, preferably in it’s Director’s Cut. Which would include Nonso Anozie voicing Iorek, I must add. In spite of the spin courtesy Weitz and Pullman, it’s clear that the top brass of New Line (who know nothing about the book) are making these changes.
ohhh i get it. This is just a big money spinning trick. “if you want to see what happens next, go see the next film” and i think philip pullman has to say what hes been saying because if he says “no i think its a terrible idea” etc then this will give a bad image to the movie, and also kind of to him.
And yeahh ill put my name down on that petition of yours, blain
According to someone on the imdb boards the film now ends with the scene in the balloon after the escape from Bolvanger. (Lyra now goes to Svalbard FIRST. It makes no sense) Anyway, it ends with Serafina telling Lee that Lyra is important, and we fade out on her sleeping face.
A stupid, sickly sweet, ‘Hollywood’ ending.
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I wonder how long this movie will last, you guys. Two hours? Longer than that…? O_O
Um, people, why are you worrying so much? They’re KEEPING the end of TGC, they’re just adding a bit of the beginning of The Subtle Knife to it, because it flows better as a movie. THE ENDING IS IN TACT, they just added a bit. I personally don’t have a problem with that. In fact, it makes sense. It would annoy people who haven’t read the books to see the movie end so suddenly as in TGC, so they just want to add a bit of Subtle Knife so viewers aren’t confused.
Honestly, I don’t know why you guys are so riled up…*shrugs*
I hope the movie’s long! XD