From radio to stage and screen – five facts about His Dark Materials

The second season of His Dark Materials hit screens in late 2020 with a third and final series already commissioned. The TV adaptation of the popular series of adventure books has proved a hit with audiences, but this isn’t the first time adapted.

Here are some interesting facts about the various versions of His Dark Materials.

1. His Dark Materials is based on a trilogy of books by the same name by author Philip Pullman. The books are The Golden Compass (also known as Northern Lights outside the US), The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass. The books were released between 1995 and 2000.

2. The books were first adapted into a radio play broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in the UK in 2003, starring Terence Stamp. Irish radio broadcaster RTÉ produced a radio play of Northern Lights in 2003.

3. A theatrical production of the books debuted in December 2003. The two-part six-hour play was produced at the Royal National Theatre and starred well-known actors Timothy Dalton, Dominic Cooper and Patricia Hodge. It received rave reviews and toured throughout the UK and abroad.

4. The 2008 movie adaptation of the Golden Compass opened to mixed reviews and underperformed expectations, and plans for the film version of the remaining two books in the trilogy were scrapped. The movie starred Daniel Craig and Nicole Kidman and was criticized for playing down Pullman’s original text’s religious themes.

5. The first season of the long-awaited TV version of the books debuted on HBO in the US and BBC in the UK in November 2019. Dafne Keen plays the part of Lyra, and the show also stars James McAvoy, Ruth Wilson and Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Explore many more great adventures with the books from www.ovymedia.com.