Confirmation That 'His Dark Materials' Sequels Aren't Forthcoming

by Eugene Novikov Jul 22nd 2008 // 9:02AM

Filed under: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, RumorMonger, Remakes and Sequels

At least not any time soon. That's from this article in The Independent, which quotes author Phillip Pullman as saying that following the disappointing box office returns for The Golden Compass, no one has talked to him about adapting The Amber Spyglass (or, obviously, The Subtle Knife). Director Chris Weitz, who had been determined to make a sequel happen, is staying mum, as is New Line, now part of Warner Bros. At this point, the age of star Dakota Blue Richards -- already 14 -- is going to be a problem for any big plans to continue the franchise.

The Independent article is a little annoying, since it insists on blaming (crediting?) the Christian protests against The Golden Compass for the film's commercial failure in the US. That seems a little facile, though even Pullman seems to believe it. The source material didn't turn out to be much of a brand name, the marketing was a bit generic, and I think the movie just never caught on as a must-see holiday blockbuster. I'm not sure the protests had that much pull.

No regrets here, since I think the first film was a bit generic, not doing justice to the book. Though I guess now I really wish Weitz hadn't decided to move the first book's ending to the then-envisioned sequel. Oh well.

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Tags: chris weitz, ChrisWeitz, dakota blue richards, DakotaBlueRichards, philip pullman, PhilipPullman, the amber spyglass, the golden compass, the subtle knife, TheAmberSpyglass, TheGoldenCompass, TheSubtleKnife

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