Philip Pullman - His Dark Materials

[caliburncy]

Hi, all.

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at y..., Katze <jdumas at k...> wrote:
> I read something in Variety a week or so ago that says New Line
> Cinemas (Lord of the Rings), has landed the right to produced
> Philip Pullman's series, His Dark Materials.

Hmm, this is very interesting.  The last I had heard about it (which 
amittedly was long ago), Philip Pullman said that a small company had 
bought the rights to a film version.  This is a common practice, 
there are lots of companies that do nothing but buy rights (with no 
intention of actually producing a film themselves) and then 
subsequently sell those rights to other companies.  I guess New Line 
must have bought the rights from that little company.  Interesting 
news, because otherwise I would have presumed that nothing would ever 
come from that sale to the small company (damn near every book gets 
bought in this fashion, though few become films).  But if New Line 
has bought it from that smaller company, then I assume the actually 
have some level of intention of carrying it through?  Are there any 
Hollywood insiders who know how these things work.  How often (if 
ever) do the big companies buy rights from smaller companies and then 
just leave those rights in the dust?

I would definitely be interested in a film version of HDM, but I have 
to admit that I'm a tad skeptical how well a film version could be 
done.  It has become a common practice for me, of late, to imagine 
what a screenplay would be like (or often the cinematography and 
directing as well) for a movie version of books that I am reading.  
Sick, I know.  But I remember having a strange impression that a film 
adaptation of HDM would be rather more difficult than your typical 
adaptation.  I'd have to re-read HDM to remember the specifics of why 
I thought that was, but I don't have the time for a re-read, sadly.

Anyway, I am no expert; it was just the hunch of a layman who muses 
too much on these kinds of things.

I think Jeralyn is correct, however, that, if done properly, it would 
make a very interesting and visually stunning film.


> Have many of your read his books? Did you enjoy them? 

Obviously, or I wouldn't be obsessing about them, per above. ;-)  
Yep, own 'em, love 'em, and have *many*, MANY qualms to pick with 
them, but that's true of any book I read.

-Luke