A promotional video for The Golden Compass has hit the web today. Something of a proto-trailer, the video is a mixture of completed live-action footage and as-yet unfinished effects work. It features all of the major stars from the upcoming film and reveals numerous scenes for the first time. It’s the most complete footage yet available by far, but it should be stressed that this is not the finished article. You can view it below. We’ll have stills from the video up soon, but in the meantime you can view some here Thanks to brendonconnelly and Ilaria for the tip.
I’m hellah excited (just saying). Lee Scoresby looks perfect. Dakota Blue Richards face is amazing for the role. Eva Green! *squee* Daniel Craig looks a bit young actually, but his facial hair can make up for that. I’m so excited.
Looks pretty frickin’ sweet, doesn’t it? However, I’d guess a few heads might gonna roll because of this leaked video. It’s not something that was meant for the general public. And Lynn, all of it is very, very early. Don’t worry, the visual fx will look top notch by the time it’s done. This is a pretty good snapshot of were we were about a month ago.
Also, there’ll be proper teaser-trailer hitting sometime in the month of May. Many of the shots shown in this are in the teaser as well, if in a different order. Of course they will be in a far more complete state by that time (but certainly not done).
Uh, anyway… I’ve said too much. New Line will send their ninja assassins to dispatch of me.
i get this the idea this one one of the promo videos they’d send to interested distributors and select media outlets. other than that the movie itself is unfinished, the production of this video is very complete. it’s definitely not meant to be a trailer or even a teaser… those tend not to have the live actors discussing the characters or filmmakers discussing production.
Jessia, that’s pretty much what I said. Or meant to say. Sorry if I was being unclear…
This video is exactly what you said: a promo video to sell the movie to industry people — toy manufacturers, theatre owners, people like that. As such, it wasn’t meant to be seen by the general public, and New Line will likely try to get it pulled soon. Of course, once something’s on the Internet, it’s hard to stop it. I doubt it hurts the movie or New Line though, as the footage shows much promise. By which I mean, it kicks quite a bit of arse.
And like I said; a real, proper teaser-trailer will be released online and in theaters during the month of May. How do I know this, Ravi? Use your imagination. ; )
I was really concerned for this project - I can’t stand the thought of them tarnishing the literary genius that is hdm but ….I think this looks great.true to the book but with enough creative imaginantion to make it a work of its own. Cant wait for the film
WOW!!!!!!!!!!! WOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWO!!!! THAT WAS AMAZING!!!!
And if anyone listened carefully, the music that plays during the second half of the trailer is actually music from the Children of Dune Mini-series, which is one of the best movie soundtracks ever. is it possible that Brian Tyler is composing the score for this movie too??? Its a dream come true!!!!!!
Sorry to tell you Oreo, but it doesn’t look like Brian Tyler’s composing. Officially listed is French composer Alexandre Desplat (Golden Globe winner, Oscar nominated). Music from other films/sources is often used in promotion material for other films.
Oh no… I can’t download the footage! I get a message from what I presume is the server hosting the file, media.fotokem.com, asking me for a sign-in name and password, which of course I don’t have. Is anybody else having this problem? I want to watch the file darnit!
I think it was leaked “accidentally on purpose” (wink wink).
Whatever the case, this footage has proven all the naysayers wrong (all of whom are strangely silent. Huzzah for small miracles!). Absolutely stunning, I have ants in my pants waiting for the finished film! Here I was lamenting that 2007 is going too fast, and now I can’t wait for December! **grin**
Doesn’t work on btts anymore either, Jess, not for me at least. I think the Cat is right, it may have been a leak…see it while you can, people, it’s still on YouTube, I expect it will be off soon.
Penguin_Factory said: “Cool. I liked the bit where Lyra smacks the Magisterium soldier over the head with a rifle”
I wasn’t going to mention it for a desire not to to be cynical but that shot concerned me. How are they going to build any significance around Will shooting somebody when they’ve already had Lyra violently cracking somebody around the head with a rifle like she’s been trained in it?
PERFECT!!!!!!!!!!!!
PERFECT!!!!!!!!!!……….!!!!!
Dakota is very cute!!! Nicole IS Mrs Coulter.Serafina (Eva) just perfect!!! We saw daemons too. I’m so excited!!!! What a great movie!!! Now waiting until December.
We are on a school computer so we did’t get to see the pic. but on imdb.com we looked at the casting and WHERE IS ROGER is he missing or do they just not know?
Never posted here before, been checking site out for years though. Just had to post after seeing the footage, it is such a relief that it looks like they haven’t messed it up. BRILLIANT!
I’m sorry, but since when did smacking someone with a rifle butt deadly? Unless the Tartar in question is suffering from Osteogenesis imperfecta, then you can be sure he is just a little dazed.
Fantastic. And as a practicing Christian, I just want to say that I, too, will be offended if Pullman’s ideas are dumbed down for this movie, ESPECIALLY if it’s done in order to coddle Christians.
I loved getting a look at the dirigibles, the carriage, the demons, and the gyptian boat. Iorek Bernison looks like he is going to be stupendous. The atmospheric look of the settings, the roof tops of Jordan, the beautiful costumry, and the georgously turned out characters. If the film is as good as it appears to be, how could it not be a huge success? So looking forward to this movie.
Their biggest challenge now is making the CGI seamless. Put some hair on that monkey!
I loved the whack-a-Tartar scene..it is very Lyra fighting for her life and trying to save everybody else. Too violent for younger children, which is why I think it’ll be rated PG-13.
Katrine, I think Nicole is the only person that should play Coulter. Hands down. She was the perfect choice for me when I read the book and now seeing this it only backs that up. She looks perfect.
And this footage was beyond amazing! Just brillant.
I am sure he deserved it kinders. Lyra is hardly the benevolent type. If you recall she had thoughts about ordering Iorek to kill a villager. And she inflicted callous wounds on some of the Bolvangar staff, then proceeded to calmly blow the place up! Compared to venerable acts of terrorism, clobbering a baddie over the head doesn’t seem all that bad.
Hopefully the finished project will be as good as it appears it will be from the promo.
Also hope that Dakota Blue manages more than one facial expression…
Yes, I am excited. But I have a few things to comment on:
It’s early days with the CGI rendering, but the aurora borealis looks a little, un…, uninspiring, unimaginative, maybe? Anyway, I’m definately not satisfied with the ‘Northern Lights’ effect/flash of light. It is supposed to ‘dance and ripple like a giant curtain of colour’ across the sky. Now that just looks like a scene from the Lion King when Mufasa’s ghost appears from the stars.
Oh. My. God.
I am so excited for this! Iorek looks so fantastic, but I cant wait to see Mulefa personally ;D
Though I just noticed that I have been mispronouncing ‘Lyra’ for the past 8 years…oops….
Oh, and to Brian, good on you for not getting tetchy about the whole religious issue I wish people wouldnt get so crazy about it.
My qualms aren’t about whether anybody deserved it or not; I just wonder how they’re going to draw any significance from the scene when Will shoots somebody and feels sick for it afterwards when they’ve already made Lyra into a little action heroine who (quite skilfully) performs pretty gratuitous acts like this. I only think it would have been a little more sensible (and showing more foresight) to have had her bat him neatly around the legs…
(Surely Bolvangar was empty when it was destroyed? I don’t remember the plot too well any more but didn’t they set the fire alarm off first?)
Wow! I was really expecting them to stick to the book more but I really like the Techno Sci-Fi style they decided to go with. It will set it apart from the book making a much more pleasurable viewing experince. And if they can make HDM look this good then I can’t wait for Stephen King’s The Dark Tower to get made!
OMG WOW that’s amazing! Oxford looks too modern, but still a unique idea. i love how the witches fly- even if their not on cloud pines. Dakota Blue Richards is just PERFECT for Lyra, and overall the daemon CGI seems to be coming on great! i love how they change-it looks so natural. Iorek might be too big in da scene where Lyra’s riding him, but that was probably just done for effect; it doesn’t really matter either.
Simply WOW, and it looks as though the film will be able to capture some of the books magic :D :D
i didnt believe when she told me it would be a movie
i got back to the states and watched this
it sent shivers down my spine
im so excited
The Books Kept me from going crazy on a real long trip through the congo once i only hope the movies (hopefully MOVIES) will just just as great
AHHHHH im so excited
i cant seem to be able to view it her .. but i watched it at skool XD i went all quiet & i like just sat ther in awe. !@#$%!@#$%^&* im exicted !@#$%^&U*@#$%^& I WANNA SEE THE WHOLE MOVIE NOW !@#$%%!@#$%^ it looks good !!! !^&!@$^&!@#$%^&@#$%^&@!#$%^
I wasn’t really expecting them to make it more sci-fi than fantasy but I think it was a great idea. The fact that it looks this good really gets me excited and raises my hopes for Stephen King’s The Dark Tower movie. If they can translate Pullman this well then hollywood just might be able to pull off The Dark Tower.
The footage looks quite nice, the witches look amazing and I like Oxford, though not so keen on some of the rounded shapes of the buildings - some of it looks a bit too sci-fi. But I’m concerned that the film won’t highlight the strength of the bond between humans and their daemons, which is one of the elements that really struck me when I read the trilogy. I’m a bit worried that they will “try to impress” too much with the CGI of the daemons, which will miss out this important relationship. After all, the daemons are supposed to reflect their humans thoughts and feelings - I don’t want them to come off just looking like “pets”.
OMG there’d be tons of comments, well there would be wouldn’t there……… it is a year scince the auditions so boys watch out because there is likely to be will auditions when the film comes out…………
hmm, I’m hoping that face paces “schwoopy” camera work is just for the trailer… I’m speaking specifically of the scene of Lyra in the carriage. I was hoping her world would have a more old-school cinema style of filming, whilst Will’s would be the more current.
Dakota’s voice is spot on. Wow… just WOW!!! It’s looking so good already, I like the walking across the rooftop scene
The religious stuff will obviously be dumbed down to appeal to the masses. But, like the harry potter books/movies, we should take TGC as something different entirely to the books we know and love, we’re all going to have “our” lyra and “our” jordan in our heads no matter what.
OH MY GOSH!!!
IT LOOKS AMAZING!!!!
How on earth will I able to survive till December????
I’m absoultly sure that the first film will persuade them to make the other two as well!!
Its a shame that they’ve used so much CGI though…
But still… I CANT WAIT
*does an excited happy dance*
What people are saying about the northern lights, and how they look off in that one scene. I believe, after watching it again, that it is the point in the story where asriel tears between the fabric of the worlds. That would explain why it is splitting apart and shining through. I believe that it is what they are trying to show, thats what I interpreted it as.. but, I could be wrong
Absolutely stunning. There are no words in any language right now to describe my exitement and waiting for December. I do not remember Lyra faling off anything. I hope it does not get TOO holywoodized. So all we have heard Lyra say is “The witches are here!” and scream a couple of times. Anyways, Wake Me Up When December Comes.
I believe the cloudpine will be added in later maybe?
Anyway, this looks soooo AWESOME! 8D Wow, I love the daemons! I bet they’re gonna look a 100 times better when the movie is finished. X3 Seriously, I can’t wait! Come on December 2007!
That was great!! I cant believe how good it looks so early in the film. Everything was almost exactly how i pictured it. I hope they didnt take the religious parts out that would ruin everything. Great job so far.
It looks brilliant! The bashers can’t find anything to say except “Dakota’s line sounded awful” and “The animation was too cartoony” and “Since when was Lyra a vicious fighter?” Well, each one is easily explained- I thought her line sounded great- just the right amount of awe, relief etc. The animation will be greatly improoved and hitting somebody with a rifle (likely in self defence, though I don’t know)isn’t vicious, considering the circumstances. Not that you are necessarily a basher if you said that, it was just an oprotunity for me to argue.
I’ll likely defent this movie to the ends of the earth, for love of the books, regardless of how it turns out. And it’s looking like it’ll it’ll turn out to be fabulous!!
By the way, I believe that Lyra did fall off of Lee’s balloon. I’d normally offer more specifics, but a friend is borrowing my books, after I forced them upon her and refuse to leave her alone until she’s finished.
Exactly the same as Becky: I’ve been checking out this site for updates for the longest time and never posted before, but that footage…the hairs stood up on the back of my arms and I found myself gazing at the footage like a fool exclaiming, “F*ck! F*ck!” (I’m normally slightly more eloquent than that.)
Doesn’t it all look so deliciously and wonderfully right?
Yes, Lyra falls from the balloon when they’re just arriving to Svalvard, there is awfull weather. They are right over the cliffs and then they realize Lyra isn’t there. They seem to have adapted this so that they see Lyra falling.
I am very concerned about the witches having no visible cloudpine yet; I LOVE the way they fly, so elegant!, but if they don’t add it i must addmit i would be disappointed…
Thank you, Megann, for qualifying that I’m not a “basher”; I was about to get indignant! (Although I did also think that the “witches” line sounded horribly flat, I don’t think it was really in enough context to judge it.) I do think it’s vicious, though: as I said, for an eleven(?) year old girl it seemed a bit much.
Anyway, I think it looks splendid, which is just about all we have to judge it by at the moment.
i don’t really think the lack of cloud pine matters that much- even though they r a memorable part of the books, the flying in the trailor looks so gracful and flowing-and slightly more magical without any support from a cloud pine.
I was dakota’s class mate in school ! she was one of my best friends ! i did drama exams with her like ” bugsy malone ” and i was bugsy and she was blousey ! she is a really good mate and i still talk to her ! well done D for getting this brilliant part luv ya ! sas x
omg lol oi Sakia if u do kno here get her to visit this site or summat !!?? i hope she knows about it !!!!!! OMG plzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz p.s. tell her she looks gr8 4 the part
!@#$ i keep on watchin it & it keepz on blowing my mind !!
Good grief I’ve been waiting for this a long time! Some evil little monkey mentioned it on the radio when the movie rights were obtained…. what was that? about six years ago?
Please correct me if I’m wrong. It looks beautiful. I can hardly wait… though I always pictured mother and daughter as brunettes for some reason. suppose no one bothered to read my mind.
Don’t know what to say, not entirly convinced, I don’t like the style of it hugly, but it looks impressive. A few concerns (The style, Lyra hitting that man) but not much.
Yeah, me too silvertongue. There’s bin loads more people coming on this site since the movie footage and info has cum out. Not that thats a bad thing- the oppposite!!!
Looks awesome. Iorek looks great, especially. The soldiers with their dogs? also awesome. That cool swooping camera shot with the witches, where one of them starts to fire her bow was probably my favorite shot. Interesting how those witches (I couldn’t tell if they were live actors or a cg effect)were composited onto the scene, apparently finished, while you can still see the green/blue screens in the background!
Well, there’s been new people commenting on this site because this footage is too exciting to look and stay calm!
There’s people that had been visiting this site for a long time, but right now there’s something that is in fact extremely impressive!
Oh it’s just too long to wait. I think they will definitely add the cloudpine to the witches flight sequence because it would be hard to explain them floating about and a piece of the cloudpine can be used to contact a witch, so that’s important. not to mention the scene with lyra and the alethiometer.
wow, i am completely blown away. i love the camera-work, i can tell this is going to be a beautiful movie. acting is wonderful, too. mm daniel craig with facial hair! :]
am i the only one who’s viewed HDM as more sci-fi than fantasy, even before the movie? i mean, there is so much science and scientific philosophy in the books. it’s got fantastical elements like the daemons, sure, but i dunno, it’s just always kind of struck me as a more person-centered science fiction story rather than an all-out fantasy.
Like Becky, im a long time reader - first time post, like most of you been watching this in development since it was first announced and with some trepadation. To screw adaptation this up would be a crime. But having seen what they have done so far i feel like i can breath easy again. This looks like its going to be a wonderful movie.
Dakota Blue Richards’ face just looks blank the whole way through - and the only line i heard her say ‘the witches are here’ sounded wooden and awful! I hope her acting isn’t like that in the film!
oh and they’ll probably get more significance out of will killing somebody because they’re from different worlds, he’s from our world and she’s more coarse anyway, and they’re different people so its easily explained that will could just have more of a conscience..
The thought of the three volumes in “His Dark Materials” reaching the screen thematically whole during these dark, ignorant days of dulled imagination makes me very happy. The film trilogy has the capacity to be just as groundbreaking and vital as the novels; Milton would be proud.
wow! looks great. it is going to be shown in the uk isnt it? but i think Oxford looks a bit futurisitc. and by the way i can still see it so it must be peoples servers stopping them from seeing it.
(sorry afterthought)
if you check out the bit where eva green is introduced and there is the green screen and fight scene you cansee a cloud-pine branch between Serafina’s legs.
“a thing of beauty is a joy forever…” Compared to whatever fantasy movie/adventure/epic….has come out since Lotr….this is pure joy ….will make a huge buzz though, it already is …full of expected brilliancy!!!
WOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW
AMZING
IM SO…………. EXCITED
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
I LOVE IT IM SO HAPPY I JUST WAIT FOR DECEMBER
dude that was just…just AWSOME!!!!!!!!! good cast especially eva green as serafina pekkala she fits this part perfectly not only phisicaly but her attitude towards life ‘n that.
[…] to a friend: Brendon from Filmick film blog, who first alert sraffies of First Look footage, reports, “I have been reliably informed… that two weeks of reshoots for The […]
should have been called The Northern Lights. the golden compass sounds silly and american. and dumbed down. its such a deep book, it deserves its origional ENGLISH published name, not the silly one across the pond, although they do have a couple of extra passages. lucky sods.
[…] two-and-half minute trailer for The Golden Compass. The trailer includes scenes from the earlier proto-trailer, as well as new material. New Line seems to be keen on establishing the Lord of the Rings […]
WOW!!!!!!im sure that this would be the best movie ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!ive read the books many times but this is just AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I CANT WAIT TILL DECEMBER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WOW!!!!!!im sure that this would be the best movie ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!ive read the books many times but this is just AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!I CANT WAIT TILL DECEMBER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OMG I cannot believe its only a few months away, I’ve read those books every year since they came out I’m so so so excited it looks absolutley incredible!
Everything looks great, just one proplem here though. I’m worried that seeing as they’ve given it the American title the characters will speak with american accents. I know this isn’t a major problem but it would be great if they could at least try an Oxford accent.
[…] Books, goldencompass, hisdarkmaterials, Movies, pullman Bill Humphries links to some early footage of the movie adaptation of Philip Pullman’s The Golden Compass. Like Bill, I have some […]
Can’t fault it. Brilliant.
March 25, 2007 9:42 pm | link