This article from Entertainment Weekly mentions the removal of the religious themes in the movies, and confirms that Daniel Craig and Nicole Kidman have signed on for The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass.
Fall Movie Preview
Clergymen who kidnap children. Witches who aren't wicked. Even a pair of sexually ambiguous angels. If you thought Harry Potter was blasphemous, wait till you get a look at the His Dark Materials trilogy. New Line's $150 million adaptation of the first in Philip Pullman's series of theologically trippy novels, The Golden Compass follows 12-year-old Lyra Belacqua (Richards) as she sets off on an epic odyssey through a fantastical parallel universe inhabited by armor-wearing polar bears and shape-shifting daemons.
Translating the book's complex metaphysical multiverse to the screen would make even the most CGI-savvy filmmaker jittery, let alone one whose biggest previous accomplishment was a comedy about a kid who has sex with a pastry. “To be honest, I didn't think I'd survive it,” Weitz (American Pie) confesses. “It seemed like the kind of thing that could break a person's mind. I mean, this movie is a megillah.”
Indeed, after a trip to New Zealand to observe Peter Jackson on the set of a certain megillah called The Lord of the Rings, Weitz got cold feet and left the picture; he only returned to the job after his replacement Anand Tucker (Shopgirl), ran into creative difficulties with the studio. “I'm both the first and the third director on the film,” he says. “But I did a lot of growing in the interim.”
He's also the movie's screenwriter, which means he'll get the hate mail if Pullman's fans decides it veers too far from the book. “It follows the novel as closely as it can,” promises Craig, who grew an un-Bondlike beard to play Lord Asriel, Lyra's explorer uncle, “but there's still a lot missing. That's always the case when you adapt a movie. You have to focus more on the storytelling.”
Conspicuously absent, for instance, is any reference to Catholicism; instead, the malevolent organisation that snatches children to surgically remove their souls is referred to in the movie only as the Magisterium. “It has been watered down a little,” admits Kidman, who stars as the icily evil Mrs. Coulter. Not that she's complaining. Quite the contrary. “I was raised Catholic,” she says. “The Catholic Church is part of my essence. I wouldn't be able to do this film if I thought it were at all anti-Catholic.” She wouldn't be able to do any possible sequels, either, but Kidman and Craig have both signed on for two.
24 comments - Add yours
#1 willi
Good!! Now we only have to hope the filming will begin soon!!
As for the religious aspects I think that this is take out of context. The novels their selves aren't anti-catholic, this is what Kidman says.
# August 18, 2007 00:38 by situ
#2
everybody knows that the religous is not completely in the movies, but i trust weitz, and based on the comic con video, we can see that is very religious undertones in many scenes.
# August 18, 2007 01:31 by tato
#3
I am glad that the religious elements of the novels will be sustained throughout the movies, even if slightly diluted. It is an important part of the series.
# August 18, 2007 10:50 by Bekster
#4
"If you thought Harry Potter was blasphemous, wait till you get a look at the His Dark Materials trilogy."
That just made me laugh. *LOL*
# August 18, 2007 14:41 by Nata
#5
This is great news. ;)
# August 18, 2007 17:48 by Dark Fantasies
#6
Yay!!!! I can't wait for production to start to see what Will will look like! And I wonder if they are going add to The Subtle Knife. Out of the three books, it has the least plot. But anyways, I'm sure it will be great!
# August 18, 2007 18:48 by Ruta S
#7
Got the article now - lovely giant photo of Eva Green in costume across from the article. I really enjoyed reading that first bit to everyone.
# August 18, 2007 23:14 by Phit
#8
*Raises an Eyebrow* Reading the books I didn't get the sense that Pullman was writing specifically about Catholicism. I saw the Magisterium as more a representation of the extreme aspects of christian dogma. I felt the books were more anti-authoritarian in spirit; merely using the church as a tangible symbol.
# August 19, 2007 03:14 by CS
#9
Great news!
# August 19, 2007 11:13 by anna11
#10
This question is about the counter on the main page. Is it supposed to be for the movie release? I'm confused because it is counting down for 12 days from now. Is something important happening in 12 days or is it just not set correctly? Just wondering, I've been perplexed all morning. =)
# August 19, 2007 16:45 by whohash83
#11 situ
Yes!
What is this counter?? I'm very intrigued...Tell something!
# August 19, 2007 16:58 by situ
#12
i am in the same way!!! for what it is?
# August 20, 2007 00:26 by damian!
#13
Forgive my ignorance, but where is the counter? I'm getting curious..
# August 20, 2007 01:45 by Nata
#14 ?
What is the counter?
# August 20, 2007 02:25 by Unknown Seraphim
#15
in the main page!
# August 20, 2007 02:30 by damian!
#16
Yes I have been wondering this as well!
Anyway, yeah I'm getting exasperated with everyone focusing on any sort of "anti-religion" themes to the series. As long as there isn't a lot of plot being sacrificed in the watering-down, I guess it's for the better. Then there will be less reason for people to start a silly little controversy.
# August 20, 2007 05:47 by Miss Bear
#17
Controversy is a very effective marketing tool though.
# August 20, 2007 12:06 by L!NK
#18
It's also one the studio itself doesn't even have to use - which is really irritating if it's not the reason you want people to see your movie, but more viewing paying eyes is always better.
# August 20, 2007 14:28 by Phit
#19
I'll pass through the so-supposed anti-Catholicism of HDM, just to say...Yay! I'm so happy!These are really good news!When will they start?Are we sure that they signed for the other two, or are just rumors?
# August 20, 2007 19:35 by Lyrael
#20
i think the counter is for a new trailer!
# August 21, 2007 01:35 by damian!
#21
aww! I can't wait for the movie, but I was hoping it would be much more like the book. Movies based are unfortunately, never like that
# August 21, 2007 18:36 by kikistar99
#22
only narrow minded people could call it blasphemous, to every other religion its oposite is blasphemy, and ill bet he needed a dictionary to find out what megillah ment
# August 22, 2007 15:53 by Aquemnun Byrnison
#23
Perhaps the counter is the days, hours, minutes, seconds ON TOP of the four months left until the release of the movie.
# August 24, 2007 03:43 by QueenHal
#24
Maybe the whole website is getting a makeover on Sept 1st? I dunno.
# August 24, 2007 08:18 by anna11