Television His Dark Materials

sullydnl

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Teaser trailer for the new BBC/HBO adaptation of Phillip Pullman's (now classic) series.

Literally cannot be worse than the film version. *shudders*
 

Rooney1987

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Yeah me neither but glad it is a thing. Some of the best fantasy novels around imo.

Interesting cast, the kid from Logan, had no idea she was English makes her performance in Logan even more impressive. James McAvoy and Lin-Manuel Miranda big gets.
 

sullydnl

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Yeah me neither but glad it is a thing. Some of the best fantasy novels around imo.

Interesting cast, the kid from Logan, had no idea she was English makes her performance in Logan even more impressive. James McAvoy and Lin-Manuel Miranda big gets.
Tom Hooper is lead director on the series too which (even without being a particularly big fan of his films) is still quite a good get itself what with those Oscar and Emmy wins in his back pocket.

Season 2 has (apparently) already been greenlit, which suggest confidence in the BBC's part.
 

Fingeredmouse

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I'm very excited about this. I'm hoping that they don't dumb it down like they did for the amazing looking, perfectly cast but terribly written film version. It'll be interesting to see how they manage the exponential growth in scope that occurs after the first book.
 

sullydnl

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I'm very excited about this. I'm hoping that they don't dumb it down like they did for the amazing looking, perfectly cast but terribly written film version. It'll be interesting to see how they manage the exponential growth in scope that occurs after the first book.
It certainly seems way more suited to TV than film, not least because there should be no need to water down the book's themes for fear of making it financially unviable in the US.
 

Edgar Allan Pillow

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It covers profound themes in a deep way that few books, never mind kid's, aspire to, never mind pull off. If they do the books justice, which is quite the challenge, it could be extraordinary.
Not disputing that, but I'd have preferred to have a more mature undertaking of the same theme. The plot really lacked the grit that the theme demands.

It's like difference between earlier Batman movies and TDK.

Booooooo! *throws stuff*
:lol:
 

Fingeredmouse

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Not disputing that, but I'd have preferred to have a more mature undertaking of the same theme. The plot really lacked the grit that the theme demands.

It's like difference between earlier Batman movies and TDK.



:lol:
I don't recall the plot lacking grit or pulling punches? It's pretty unflinching in its potrayal of human nature, does not avoid, but rather unsentimentally dives deep into, its difficult themes and mercilessly exposes its very well constructed characters to heartbreak and horrors. I'd consider it more mature than TDK -which is no critiscism of the fine Nolan movie.
Whether they can pull it off in this adaptation remains to be seen.
 

Steerpike

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It covers profound themes in a deep way that few books, never mind kid's, aspire to, never mind pull off. If they do the books justice, which is quite the challenge, it could be extraordinary.
The books are really good, written I guess with a teenage audience in mind (so hardly kids), and with themes that were apparently controversial enough to provoke the catholic church into seeking to squash any sequel to The Golden Compass (the film based on the first book in the trilogy).

It's great news if the BBC are doing an adaptation - in my view they usually do these things well - and I'm looking forward to seeing it.
 

hobbers

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Well, if anyone is going to ever do a good screen adaption, a BBC tv series is by far the best chance.

Also.. Alice Morgan (Ruth Wilson) as Mrs Coulter? Pretty fine casting.
 

Oldyella

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Never read the books, but cast looks great and will watch it on that alone.
 

Bilbo

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Literally cannot be worse than the film version. *shudders*
It would be an astonishing achievement to be worse than the film version - one of my greatest cinematic disappointments to date
 

Nialler

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It covers profound themes in a deep way that few books, never mind kid's, aspire to, never mind pull off. If they do the books justice, which is quite the challenge, it could be extraordinary.
Its a trilogy for children of all ages, that includes me! Hope they do justice to the books unlike the ghastly film.
 

RedSky

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I'll be giving this a miss. The film was pretty dull and this trailer was also dull.

Have this hunch that i'd feel incredibly irritated by the main girl. ('proper' english accent)
 

Suv666

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I read the trilogy but I dont remember anything now. This looks good though, the movie was horrible
 

TwoSheds

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Looks like it'd be better without McAvoy, as would many things, but there you go. The bear looked shit as well, but feck it I'm in.
 

dumbo

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Ah dang it actually looks rather good, particularly the daemons, which means I might have to actually watch it. I just hope they cut back on some of the lumpen metaphysics and the weary god-bothering-bothering.
 

horsechoker

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I have never read the books but when I watched the trailer I thought it was a Harry Potter spin-off and then a Game of Thrones spin-off when they kept talking about the north.

It looks good though.
 

Kearnkoff69

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Loved the books. The new trailer looks pretty good - I'll definitely give it a watch when it comes out. I hope they can do the source material justice.
 

sullydnl

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Was some years ago, but I was hard pressed to finish Book 1. Perhaps I'll give this a go again later.
They are kids' books tbf, or at least as much as any YA books are. Fantastic, clever and ambitious kids' books that an adult could happily enjoy, yes, but kids' books nonetheless.

Not that that's any sort of criticism to my mind. As the slew of great kids' films in recent decades has proven, appealing to a younger audience doesn't mean quality has to be sacrificed in the slightest.
 

sullydnl

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Ah dang it actually looks rather good, particularly the daemons, which means I might have to actually watch it. I just hope they cut back on some of the lumpen metaphysics and the weary god-bothering-bothering.
Rather tricky to do given where the plot of the books go, I'd have thought.

Plus one of the big issues with the film version was that the commercial realities of trying to be successful in the US meant that the religious side of things was neutered. Given those same pressures don't exist in this case, I can't imagine they intend to reign back further on any anti-religious themes.
 

LInkash

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I read the trilogy but I dont remember anything now. This looks good though, the movie was horrible
Same here, Ir bugger all about it even though from what I remember it was so good. Odd, you'd think if it was that good, it would have leave a lasting memory.
 

Moiraine

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A new trailer is out...

First episode is about a month away. Looks an interesting show.

 

Ubik

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Anyone watch?

Never usually like BBC adaptations and that didn't do anything to convince me otherwise yet, although McAvoy is pretty perfect for Asriel.
 

Andersons Dietician

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Anyone watch?

Never usually like BBC adaptations and that didn't do anything to convince me otherwise yet, although McAvoy is pretty perfect for Asriel.
I kind of had it on but it didn’t really have my full focus so I’m pretty sure I missed a lot. Never read the books and I can barely remember that film but seems like something that will take a few episodes to really catch on.
 

Fingeredmouse

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Coulter, Lyra and Asriel were perfect.
Looks incredible.
However, feels a little "BBC" so far.
Liked it. May like it a lot if builds well.
Certainly doesn't seem to be avoiding the difficult subject matters and I loved "La Belle Sauvage" reference at the start.
A promising start.
 

rcoobc

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I liked it, as a fan of the books.

However I don't think id watch it if i hadn't read the books, and don't think it will be good enough to earn a second viewing in years time
 

Ubik

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Coulter, Lyra and Asriel were perfect.
Looks incredible.
However, feels a little "BBC" so far.
Liked it. May like it a lot if builds well.
Certainly doesn't seem to be avoiding the difficult subject matters and I loved "La Belle Sauvage" reference at the start.
A promising start.
Not read that yet, is this what the flood's from?

This'll live and die on the bear, I think.