Ben Walker

The Golden Compass is a 2007 fantasy adventure film based on Northern Lights, the first novel in Philip Pullmans trilogy His Dark Materials. Written and directed by Chris Weitz, it stars Nicole Kidman, Dakota Blue Richards, Daniel Craig, Sam Elliott, Eva Green, and Ian McKellen. The project was announced in February 2002, but difficulties over the script and the selection of a director caused significant delays. At US$180 million, it was one of New Line Cinemas most expensive projects ever, and its disappointing results in the US contributed to New Lines February 2008 restructuring.The film depicts the adventures of Lyra Belacqua, an orphan living in a parallel universe where a dogmatic ruling power called the Magisterium opposes free inquiry. Children in that universe are being kidnapped by an unknown group called the Gobblers who are supported by the Magisterium. Lyra joins a tribe of seafarers on a trip to the far North, the land of the armoured polar bears, in search of the missing children.Before its release, the film received criticism from secularist organisations and fans of the His Dark Materials trilogy for the dilution of elements of the story which were critical of religion, as well as from some religious organisations for the source materials anti-religious themes. The studio ordered significant changes late in post-production, which Weitz later called a terrible experience. Although the films visual effects (which Weitz has called the films most successful element) won both a BAFTA and an Academy Award, critical reception was mixed and revenue lower than anticipated.

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