In a recent interview in
The Telegraph about the upcoming
New Moon film,
The Golden Compass director Chris Weitz speaks out about studio interference in his adaptation of Philip Pullman’s book.
“All I can say is that with The Golden Compass, I didn’t get to make the movie I had planned to make. When I look at the film, at the casting and certain scenes, I’m very happy. As for the final product, I can’t vouch for that.”
So does he regret making the film? “I wouldn’t have made it had I known how it would pan out, but I learned a lot.” Such as? “For a start, I learned that you have to be in complete agreement about what kind of film you are going to make at the beginning of the process with the studio!” [Source]
Thanks to Skye for this information.
Time Magazine’s Lev Grossman had the chance to speak to Chris Weitz briefly last week at Comic Con and asked him about the experience of picking up a film franchise from the second film, with an established readership and fanbase. The director
again praised Summit Entertainment, the producers of
Twilight and its sequel
New Moon, and compared their dedication to New Line’s: “With
Golden Compass I felt that by being faithful to the book I was working at odds with the studio.”
Read more. Thanks again to Haku for the tip. Discussion continues
here.
As many members of fandom are well aware, Comic Con 2009 has just passed.
Golden Compass director Chris Weitz participated in Summit Entertainment’s Thursday panel to promote
Twilight sequel
New Moon. While answering questions regarding his new work, Weitz referenced his work on the film adaptation of
the Golden Compass and confirmed what many fans have believed, “The last film that I made was recut by the studio, and my experience with it ended being quite a terrible one.” (Source:
Cinema Blend)
The director described his work with Summit Entertainment as rejuvenating, in comparison to his previous work with New Line, and remarked, “I now remember how much fun it can be to make a film.” (Source:
Ropes of Silicon) However, it was not a complete loss, as the director found the process to be a rather instructive for him with regards to the use of CGI. (Source:
Time) Thanks to Haku from our French community partner
Cittàgazze for pointing this out to us. The discussion continues
here.
The Yorkshire Post features an
interview with Philip Pullman, in which he discusses writing His Dark Materials, religious controversy, and his latest work, a retelling of the story of Jesus:
“I’m fascinated by theology. The book I’m writing at the minute is about Jesus. I did a talk at the National Theatre with the Archbishop of Canter-bury, we were talking about the theology in the books and he said: ‘You don’t mention Jesus at all’, so I put him in the next book, The Scarecrow and his Servant. Nobody noticed, so I thought I better make it clearer. … I’m writing about this very interesting character called Jesus, who is very different from the character Paul calls Christ. I’ve been reading the gospels and reading around them. It’s fascinating – and I’ve also realised it can’t all be true.”
Pullman also talks about the stage plays and the movies. “In the fullness of time, if the rights revert to me I shall go over there (he points into his library) and cut out some cardboard figures and make it myself.” Thanks to Skye.
Philip Pullman is
interviewed in the Scotsman, commenting primarily on Off by Heart, but also discussing his personal life, atheism, fan mail and the His Dark Materials films. “If the studios don’t make the next two films, I might do them myself with puppets in the garden shed, like Noggin the Nog.” Thanks to Skye.
The Huffington Post features an
article on new film Angels and Demons that spends much time on the reaction of religious groups to the first His Dark Materials film, “perhaps [the] most controversial children’s movie of all time”.
An editorial at NarniaFans.com
compares the film versions of CS Lewis’ Narnia series to the His Dark Materials film. Perhaps unsurprisingly the comparison is less than favorable to Pullman’s trilogy, and appears to blame the relative failure of the His Dark Materials films on the purported anti-religious message of the books: “They have the same basic plots, the same basic creatures, and so on. Looking at the posters, cases, and trailers, you would think they were very alike, but when you look deeper, you see that they are very different indeed. This fact shows itself through the success of the books and films of their names.”
In an
interview in Scotland on Sunday today, Pullman discusses writing fantasy and escapism, comparisons with Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, his creative instincts and adaptations. “I’ve always thought it was utterly stupid to sell the rights to an adaptation and then moan about the way they do it. If you wrote a strong enough story it will stand up to adaptation. The only thing I’m zealously protective about is the integrity of the story. There was a moment early in the film discussions when somebody high up at the studio said, ‘Let’s make Lyra into a boy.’” Thanks to blacksatindancer for the tip.
In an
interview with Philip Pullman in the Oxford Times to coincide with the new run of the His Dark Materials stage play, Pullman discusses the representation of Oxford in the books and the play. “Oxford does feature in many works of literature, starting, I suppose, with Alice in Wonderland. I’m happy to be putting my little contribution into the myth of Oxford. … It’s just a habit of thought, I suppose, a way of looking at things I’ve always had. Sunderland Avenue, between the Banbury Road and Woodstock Road roundabouts, has always fascinated me because the hornbeam trees there are so peculiar.”
Pullman also talks about the Birmingham Repertory Theatre production, and makes a new suggestion on the reason for the apparent decision not to produce sequels to the film version of the books, saying “It’s a great shame that it looks as if the films of the two later books won’t now be made, as a result of the credit crunch.”
Bill Donahue, President of the Catholic League, yesterday
cited the Catholic League’s boycott of the film The Golden Compass as evidence that he is not just giving the movie “Angels and Demons” free publicity by objecting to it, saying TGC’s sequels have not been made because of its box office failure.