Having never read the source material, but most definitely a serious fan of the fantasy genre, I walked into Chris Weitz's adaptation of Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass with a small sense of schizophrenia. As much as I enjoy epic adventures, daring escapes, dramatic battles and all that magical stuff, I'm well aware that every studio in Hollywood has tried to copy-cat the success of Harry Potter and the Lord of the Rings. Between Narnia, Eragon, Stardust, The Seeker, Beowulf, and a few others (with Inkheart and The Spiderwick Chronicles on the way!), it's tough to keep track of which ethereal realm needs the assistance of which plucky youths in order to thwart which decidedly nasty villain.

But it seems a little silly to complain, especially when you consider that the last time the "swords and sorcery" sub-genre had a revolution, it yielded movies like Legend, Labyrinth, Ladyhawke, Dragonslayer and Krull. (Yes, all of which I like.) Our latest entry into the family-friendly epic adventure category is, of course, The Golden Compass, which is based on a rather controversial fantasy novel that has the audacity to (gasp) criticize organized religion. But since pretty much all of the subtext has been drained out of this movie version, we can skip all that nonsense and cut right to the meat of the movie -- which is pretty damn fun, if you ask me.

The setting is a parallel universe in which people look a lot like we do ... only they all have personal "daemons" that hang nearby at all times. Not creepy Clive Barker-style demons, these are more like magical talking animals that share a soul with their respective 'masters' -- and the kids' daemons can morph into different animals at will. Cool! Our heroine is a precocious young tomboy called Lyra, and her adventure begins when she's whisked away from Jordan College by a mysterious lovely known as Mrs. Coulter. (It comes as little surprise to learn that Mrs. Coulter actually isn't that nice a lady, but let's not spoil things for those who haven't read the books.)

... If people stopped bitching about The Golden Compass and, instead, waited to go see the actual movie? Sure, according to a recent Hollywood Reporter article, they've "removed all references to the church, the Bible and sin ..." -- but does it really matter? It's a kids film. And I don't blame New Line or director Chris Weitz for wanting to tone down the "heavy" material so that the more fantastical elements of the books could remain front and center. Film is a visual medium after all. The Christian groups are pissed the flick will make kids want to go buy the books and -- God forbid -- learn more about the world. Like the film is some sort of ridiculous gateway drug that could potentially corrupt the minds of millions of children everywhere. The Golden Compass -- it's the new heroin! Here's how I imagine a conversation between child and parent will go immediately after watching The Golden Compass:

Parent: [sweating, shaking] So ... did you, gulp, like the film?

Kid: I liked the talking bear. He was cool. Can we get ice cream?

Parent: So, um [wipes sweat] -- you don't want to become an Atheist now?

Kid: No. I simply want a parent that isn't a complete f**king moron. I want a parent that lets me make my own decisions in life. I want a parent that exposes me to all religions, to all beliefs, and allows me to learn about the world I live in. As a person who represents the future of this country, and this world, I believe I deserve that. So, can we get ice cream now?

Fans of the books are pissed because all the "meat" has been left on the cutting room floor. Oh well. Welcome to Hollywood ... book readers. The Golden Compass will sneak preview this Saturday night in 800 theaters across America. If, come Monday morning, 800 theaters worth of people suddenly decide to swear off the whole God thing, we'll know we have a problem. In the meantime, where are the guys from South Park when you need a good rant on religion. Oh wait, there they are ...

Back in January, we were invited to visit the set of The Golden Compass, which was wrapping up its final week of shooting at that time. Since then, a number of photos have hit the net, in addition to two trailers, a few posters and a whole lot of buzz. Based on Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials, The Golden Compass (originally titled Northern Lights when it was released in Britain) is the first of three books New Line hopes to adapt for the big screen. Unlike New Line's Lord of the Rings franchise, all three His Dark Materials films (The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass) are not being shot at the same time. While plans to make The Subtle Knife are currently in the works, it's believed the studio will wait to see how well The Golden Compass does in theaters before moving on to its sequel.

Earlier this month, director Chris Weitz dropped somewhat of a bomb on fans (in a letter to the His Dark Materials fansite), letting them know that he, along with Scholastic, New Line and Philip Pullman, have decided to cut out the last three chapters of Book I from the film, and will instead use the material for The Subtle Knife (even though footage from those last three chapters does appear in the trailer for Compass). For those of you that have read The Golden Compass, you'll know that the book ends on a pretty big cliffhanger (with both a major death and a betrayal). The consensus from fans is that this was a good choice, and will make for a better overall cinematic experience. Additionally, it also means there's a very good chance The Subtle Knife will be made into a film as well ... and what a beginning it will have! The Golden Compass opens nationwide on December 7th; below you'll find a gallery of pics from our set visit and make sure to read on after the jump to find out how this monstrous production was pieced together.

New Line was cool enough to send Cinematical the final two posters for The Golden Compass, a film that's sure to blow all our minds once it arrives in theaters on December 7. We've included the first poster above (click on it for a larger version), and you can view the second poster after the jump. Both are bursting with color, intrigue and cool-looking warrior bears. Based on Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials, The Golden Compass is the first big-screen adaptation to hit screens, with plans to adapt the other two novels in the series (The Subtle Knife, The Amber Spyglass) already in the works. The film was directed by Chris Weitz (who I know will knock this one out of the park), and it stars Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Sam Elliott and Dakota Blue Richards.

Here's a piece of the synopsis to whet your appetite: "The Golden Compass' is an exciting fantasy adventure, set in an alternative world where people's souls manifest themselves as animals, talking bears fight wars, and Gyptians and witches co-exist. At the center of the story is Lyra (played by newcomer Dakota Blue Richards), a 12-year-old girl who starts out trying to rescue a friend who's been kidnapped by a mysterious organization known as the Gobblers - and winds up on an epic quest to save not only her world, but ours as well." As I said, The Golden Compass hits theaters on December 7; you can check out the trailer over on Moviefone and the second poster after the jump. Enjoy.

So it would seem that the Weitz brothers have a thing for sweeping fantasy epics. Empire online reports that Chris and Paul Weitz have signed to adapt the fantasy series Elric of Melniboné written by Michael Moorcock. The novels (and there are over a dozen of them) center on an albino emperor who is forever cursed with a sword called Stormbringer that is the source of his supernatural powers, but unfortunately the sword also sucks life force leaving Elric weak and sickly. That hardly sounds like the ideal protagonist for a big budget Hollywood film, but a lot could happen in the re-write process. The Weitz's sound like big fans of the books, saying "Of the great classic fantasy series, it is the one that hasn't been done yet".

Chris Weitz (with brother Paul producing) has just finished work on the adaptation of Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass with Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig; he served as both co-writer and director. Already another film is in the works from the series (there are three Compass-related books in total), but that film will be working from a Hossein Amini script. Chris has also signed on to adapt the big-screen version of Nick Flynn's brutally funny memoir Another Bullsh*t Night in Suck City for Fox. The Elric Saga is a tricky story to tackle in one film, and the project has yet to attach a director, but Paul is already hinting at a little nepotism, saying, "I'd really like it if my brother directed them".

Yahoo! has your first look at the brand new trailer for The Golden Compass, and right off the bat New Line makes it pretty clear that they want this to be the next Lord of the Rings-type epic. In fact, the trailer even starts out with a ring falling through mid-air, which then transforms into a compass ... and away we go. As expected, the visual effects look absolutely stunning. Back in February, I was fortunate enough to sneak 10 minutes of footage while on The Golden Compass set in London; though keep in mind a lot of that footage was missing the shine, the polish and the effects. Since some of those same scenes are included in this trailer, I'm happy to report that the finished product has exceeded my expectations. While it's not as badass as Rings was, pic should definitely help New Line launch another highly successful franchise when it arrives in theaters this December.

Written and directed by Chris Weitz (who I bet will surprise a lot of people with this flick), The Golden Compass is based on the first book in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series. Starring Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Eva Green and little Dakota Blue Richards, Compass is a sprawling adventure set in a parallel universe (think along the lines of Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow as far as look goes) in which we follow a young girl on a quest to track down her best friend, along with a group of kids who have been kidnapped by a mysterious force. But that's just the skeleton of the story; there's so much more going on in this thing. It's a pretty complex book to adapt, and I'll give a lot more props to Weitz and Co. once I see they found a way to maintain the meat of the story, while at the same time making it somewhat easy for kids to pick up on the first go-round. New Line has already started their big marketing push for Compass, unveiling a website that includes a slew of info on the film, the world and the characters. Also, might I suggest picking up the book prior to seeing the film, as I imagine it will greatly enhance your moviegoing experience. The Golden Compass arrives in theaters on December 7.

Though The Golden Compass is still months away from its theatrical release, New Line is getting the ball rolling by attempting to introduce viewers to the film's beautiful, magical and complicated world right now, as we speak. For example, a new feature on the pic's official website allows you at home to create your own daemon. In case you don't know what that is -- and if you've never read Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, then chances are the word 'daemon' is pretty foreign to you -- a daemon represents a person's soul. And, in the world of The Golden Compass, these daemons take the form of an animal spirit that accompanies each person through life.

Early on, your daemon continuously changes (depending on your mood, etc), because as a youngster you have yet to truly experience life. However, as you get older, your daemon settles into one form and stays with you until the day you die. To help put it into perspective, in Pullman's world, if you don't have a daemon, that's like saying part of your body has been mutilated. As you can see above, my daemon is a ladybug named Olyandra. I assume that means I'm weaker than I originally thought. (I mean, point me toward a ladybug that really kicks some ass.) Thanks New Line for making me feel puny! In all fairness, this movie does look pretty awesome -- I should know, I was one of only a handful of people who actually got to visit the set while it was still in production. While some might feel Chris Weitz (American Pie) is not the right man for this type of job, I think he's perfect. I talk up a lot of films on this site with nothing more than a few stills and a trailer to back up my fanboy enthusiasm. However, as far as The Golden Compass goes, I can assure you that I've seen, with my own eyes, some pretty impressive stuff. The Golden Compass (which is the first book in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy) arrives in theaters on December 7.

Regular readers of Cinematical know that we recently visited the London set of The Golden Compass, but we're holding back our coverage until a date closer to the release of the film. That said, it looks like New Line is increasingly willing to give the public an early taste of the film -- the Sydney Morning Herald is running a big article this weekend on Compass, and among other things, they are re-confirming what was earlier reported, that New Line is screening footage from the film at Cannes for journalists and distributors. We've also heard that a press junket with the main talent is being prepared. Since I'm a fan of Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Eva Green and Philip Pullman, it hardly needs to be said that this is one of the films I'm most looking forward to, but I had the wind taken out of my sails a bit by the noticeably lame poster that was unveiled at Showest, which showed nothing more than ... a golden compass. I certainly hope they've got some better advance materials coming down the pike.

The main thrust of the SMH article is recount author Philip Pullman's recent address to the Oxford Literary Festival, where he talked about the film. Among other things, he delves into the firing of screenwriter Tom Stoppard and says that he could understand the studio's point of view on that issue, which was that Stoppard's take was too cerebral for a teenage audience! Producer Deborah Forte was also on hand at the festival, and screened footage of Marisa Coulter's sky ferry, the zeppelin that she travels in. On the subject of Kidman, Pullman also revealed to the audience that he had always wanted Kidman for the part of Coulter and had in mind Laurence Olivier for Daniel Craig's part, but that didn't work out as well. The pair also told the Oxford audience that their mantra throughout the project was "stick with Lyra," meaning the central child character being played by Dakota Blue Richards, and that the film's special effects will be "subtle," although that could mean anything.

Some of the first decent footage from New Line's upcoming adaptation of The Golden Compass has arrived online in the form of a behind-the-scenes promotional clip sort of thing. The majority of it is similar to the stuff that was shown to a group of us last month in London while on set, and it appears to all be coming together quite nicely. Pic is based on the first book in Philip Pullman's fantasy trilogy, was written and directed by Chris Weitz, and stars Daniel Craig, Nicole Kidman, Eva Green and Dakota Blue Richards.

Though a lot of the effects aren't completed yet, it's still not hard to be impressed by Dennis Gassner's production design. When we were on set, Gassner spent about 45 minutes or so guiding us through the film's entire word; showing us stills, clips and concept art that absolutely blew our minds. In the 10 minutes of footage we watched, none of the daemons had been digitally created yet, but now, based on this footage, it seems some of that has been done ... though I would expect the finished product to look a lot more detailed than it does now. The Golden Compass takes place in a parallel universe to ours -- one that kind of looks like a futuristic version of the 1920s -- and follows a young girl named Lyra on a journey up North to save her best friend who's been kidnapped (along with a lot of other kids) by a mysterious organization. We'll have more from the set, as well a ton of behind the scenes goodies, as we draw closer to the pic's December 7 release date.

Is that not the greatest title you've ever seen in your entire life? Man, if that doesn't sum up most of my teenage years, I don't know what does -- it's a fact, no matter where you live or how cool the city is, there will forever be nothing to do. Or, at least, you and your clan of friends will see it that way. Apart from describing the way I felt about most of my childhood, Another Bullsh*t Night in Suck City is also a memoir written by Nick Flynn, which was adapted for the big screen by none other than American Pie man himself, Paul Weitz.

Now, almost two years after we first reported on the deal, Weitz's Suck City has found its way to Fox 2000 after originally being set up at Sony Pictures, then thrown into turnaround. Based on the title alone, you probably expect the memoir and the movie to be about a bunch of kids, cruising the streets with nothing better to do than complain about how much their town sucks the big one. You'd think that, right? However, the story follows the relationship between a case worker for the homeless and his brilliant self-destructive father. Oh. Okay. Weitz also plans to direct the pic ... and that's the best part of this whole thing.

See, I'm a big Weitz Brothers fan (save for American Dreamz, but we won't mention that one). Paul Weitz is responsible for writing and directing (along with his brother Chris) the adaptation of one of Nick Hornby's best novels, About a Boy. Heck, they rock it as a team, as well as solo -- do I need to mention the little gem that was In Good Company (written and directed by Paul)? And Chris is currently wrapping up his own epic solo effort, The Golden Compass. Unlike the Farrelly Bros., who made a name for themselves in comedy and refuse to venture off that course, the Weitz Bros. travel all over the map and make certain to mix it up enough so that you feel good about what you just watched while departing the theater. Together or alone, these boys got the goods ... and I dare you to call bullsh*t on that.

Odds and ends from Wednesday:

• Casting for The Golden Compass has officially hit warp-speed, with yet another beautiful actress hopping onboard the film. Eva Green, who plays sexy new Bond girl in Casino Royale, has signed on to play the queen of witches, Serafina Pekula, in the Chris Weitz-helmed pic. In the story, Green's character helps to guide Lyra Belacqua (played by newcomer Dakota Blue Richards) on her journey to a parallel universe.
• Hey, what's up with the Russian stuff lately? After David Jacobson signed on to adapt and helm Roadside Picnic (based off the Russian book), Gold Circle Films has decided to tap into those creative Russians and option the English-language remake rights to the horror pic, Dead Daughters. Catchy title, huh? Jared Pivet will adapt the script off an original film that centered around three girls who are murdered by their mother, then return as ghosts to watch people and judge their every move. Seems creepy enough -- anyone catch the original? Good flick? Bad flick? What say you?
• Back in May, Jette told us how Alamo Drafthouse' Rolling Roadshow was partnering up with Netflix to tour the country and screen classic movies in the actual locations they were filmed. Such an awesome idea. Anyway, Kevin Costner will be joining the Roadshow when it stops in on a little baseball field located in Dyersville, Iowa. Why Iowa and why Costner? Well, that little baseball field just happens to be the place where they filmed Field of Dreams which, coincidentally, is the pic they're screening. Those lucky enough to show up will be treated to a pre-show rock concert featuring Costner and his unnamed band. Hopefully, after watching said rock concert, they'll still be down to catch a flick ... instead of a ride out of town.

Odds and ends from Monday:

• It's official: Nicole Kidman has joined the cast of The Golden Compass, New Line's first film in an eventual trilogy based off Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials. As previously reported, the actress will be taking on the villainous Mrs. Coulter. Chris Weitz is directing, with the studio currently eying a November 16, 2007 release.
• Writer/director David Jacobson (Down in the Valley) has signed on to adapt and helm Roadside Picnic, based off the book by Russian writers Boris and Arkady Strugatsky. Story revolves around the aftermath of an alien visitation, in which "gangs of smugglers plunder the lucrative artifacts left behind." Hmm, I wonder if any of those "lucrative artifacts" include my seventh grade math homework? Upon misplacing it on several occasions, my teacher mentioned that, perhaps, aliens had stolen the missing equations.
• Rumor has it Melissa George (The Amityville Horror) will be joining Josh Hartnett in 30 Days of Night, to be directed by David Slade (Hard Candy). Based on the comic written by Steve Niles, Night tells of a group of vampires who attack an Alaskan town during a month-long period of darkness, leaving it up a husband-and-wife Sheriff team to help end the carnage. Josh Hartnett fighting vampires? Something tells me this town is screwed.

Odds and ends from Tuesday:

• I'm not exactly sure why a couple would pretend to break up, but the premise is intriguing enough for me to want to know more. Italian director Gabriele Muccino, who will be making his English-language directorial debut with The Pursuit of Happyness (starring Will Smith) this fall has now signed on to helm A Little Game Without Consequence for Focus Features. Based on the French play, Consequence was already adapted as a French film in 2004. Recently, Muccino replaced Jonathan Mostow as director of another Will Smith pic called Tonight, He Comes. However, he soon left the project claiming the story just didn't jive with his style and sensibilities.
• IGN is confirming Nicole Kidman and Paul Bettany have joined the growing cast of The Golden Compass, directed by Chris Weitz and based off Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. Kidman will be thrown into the role of villain, playing the insidious Mrs. Coulter, while Bettany will be taking on Lord Asriel. As previously discussed, Compass will kick-start New Line's most ambitious and expensive adventure since Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy. Not long ago, an unknown 12-year-old girl named Dakota Blue Richards landed the lead role in Compass, proving there is enough room in Hollywood for two little girls named Dakota.
• Talk about actors that fly way under the radar, Mos Def has signed on to star opposite Jack Black in Be Kind, Rewind. Written and directed by the always eccentric Michel Gondry, Rewind sounds right up my alley. What? Didn't anyone tell you eccentric was the new sexy? Pic stars Black as a guy who unintentionally destroys a bunch of tapes in his friend's video store after his brain becomes magnetized in a freak accident. In order to satisfy the store's one loyal customer, the two join together and attempt to remake some of the lost films including Back to the Future, The Lion King and Robocop. Also in negotiations to star are Kirsten Dunst and Danny Glover. Be Kind, Rewind begins shooting in early September.

Odds and ends from Wednesday:

• Watch out Dakota Fanning -- there's a new Dakota out there on the horizon who's bound to give the old Dakota a run for her money. Variety reports that 12-year-old newcomer Dakota Blue Richards (much cooler name if I may say so myself) has been chosen among 10,000 girls in the U.K for the lead role in The Golden Compass. Pic, which will be directed by Chris Weitz (Yes, this time he's really directing it) is an adaptation of the first book in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials fantasy trilogy. With a budget of $150 million, Compass will become New Line's most expensive since The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
• Hey, remember that Frankie Muniz sex comedy that had Martha foaming at the mouth in anticipation of its release? Yeah, well Dimension Films has snatched up the rights to Parental Guidance Suggested, suggesting that people should actually pay money to go see this thing. Labeled a "sketch comedy feature," pic boasts an ensemble cast that includes a cast full of folks that have the potential to be funny if it weren't for the moronic films they choose to appear in. Yes, I'm talking about you Jamie Kennedy. 
• Well, it appears Leonardo DiCaprio's Appian Way has taken a small lead in the race to land a Timothy Leary-related film in theaters. Appian has gone ahead and tapped playwright Craig Lucas and Leary archivist Michael Horowitz to develop a biopic based on the famous 1960s icon as a potential starring vehicle for the Titanic star. Now, you may recall that Appian is not alone in their pursuit to create a film about the LSD advocate. In fact, Miramax has already gone ahead and purchased the rights to Robert Greenfield's book, Timothy Leary: A Biography, with similar intentions. And, while all this is going on, director Darren Aronofsky is said to be quietly developing his own Leary project as well. Since there's a good chance we won't see three Leary films hit theaters at the same time, I'm wondering who will nab the top spot? Not for nothing, but these other guys don't stand a chance against, well, the King of the world. My money is on DiCaprio.

Odds and ends for Monday:

• Catherine Keener and Ellen Page (Hard Candy) have signed on to star in Tommy O'Haver's thriller, The Basement. Pic, which is based on the actual court transcripts of a real event, tells the story of a seemingly normal housewife (Keener) who decides to take one of her seven kids and imprison her in the basement. Set in the 1960s, the events that followed not only shocked the nation, but also probably contributed to the fact that most of us are terrified of what's downstairs.
• After originally penning the screenplay, then stepping off the director's chair, Chris Weitz (About a Boy, American Pie) has jumped back on to helm The Golden Compass. Based on Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, pic will mark the first installment in what will be New Line's most expensive since The Lord of the Rings films. Weitz replaces Anand Tucker, who left the project due to "creative differences," and production will begin this November to be released sometime in 2007.
• After all these years, the FCC is finally giving Martin Scorcese sh*t over his use of foul language in the TV mini-series The Blues. The director, who is fond of cussing in such films as Goodfellas and, well, a bunch more, fired back at FCC officials who claimed the language featured was unnecessary. Scorcese claimed the language was "essential" and defined an era in which blues musicians used their foul mouths as a way to stand up to a society dominated by whites in the 1940s, 50s and 60s. Yeah, now the F-bomb is used by teenagers as a way to make their parents feel guilty for not buying them a brand new BMW. My, how far we've come.