For those who have never read the series His Dark Materials as a kid, you’re in for a real treat.
Phillip Pullman’s imaginative young adult book series was dark, scary and beautiful all at once. And it dealt with weighty, philosophical issues such as religion and morality.
I for one really, really wanted a dæmon companion when I was a ten year old and would spend ages discussing with my equally bookish friend about what respective dæmons we would have if we lived in Lyra’s universe.
For those who don’t know, dæmons are representations of characters’ inner selves, and take the form of various animals. These are way more than just pets, with the dæmons being completely integrated with a person’s sense of self.
The new TV adaption is coming out later this year on the BBC via HBO, and looks more or less perfect, if the first teaser trailer has anything to go by.
Adapted by renowned English screenwriter and playwright Jack Thorne – who wrote the screenplay for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child – this looks like the ideal fantasy epic to fill the hole Game of Thrones will soon leave in our telly schedules.
It stars Dafne Keen as tomboyish protagonist Lyra Belacqua, with a cast which includes the likes of Ruth Wilson and James McAvoy.
Check out the trailer for yourself below, and prepare to get absolutely hooked:
According to the IMDb synopsis:
His Dark Materials is one of the supreme works of imaginative fiction for both children and adults published in the 20th century. Northern Lights introduces Lyra, an orphan, who lives in a parallel universe in which science, theology and magic are entwined.
Lyra’s search for a kidnapped friend uncovers a sinister plot involving stolen children, and turns into a quest to understand a mysterious phenomenon called Dust. In The Subtle Knife she is joined on her journey by Will, a boy who possesses a knife that can cut windows between worlds.
As Lyra learns the truth about her parents and her prophesied destiny, the two young people are caught up in a war against celestial powers that ranges across many worlds and leads to a thrilling conclusion in The Amber Spyglass.
His Dark Materials will come to BBC One and BBC iPlayer later this year.
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Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.