His Dark Materials is well-suited for a TV adaption, star Ruth Wilson has said.
The first installment of Sir Philip Pullman’s trilogy of novels, Northern Lights, was made into a film in the form of 2007’s The Golden Compass.
Despite boasting a stellar cast including Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig and Sir Ian McKellen, the film flopped and a planned trilogy was axed.
His Dark Materials is now being adapted for TV in a joint production between the BBC and HBO, with Wilson starring alongside Dafne Keen, James McAvoy and Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Wilson said the books are better suited for the small screen and HBO’s Game Of Thrones paved the way.
Speaking at Comic-Con, she told PA: “TV has become the place where you can really explore story and drama, as well as the big fantasy.
Who is willing to fight for truth and freedom? ⁰
Based on the global best sellers, #HisDarkMaterials starring @DafneKeen, Ruth Wilson, James McAvoy, and @Lin_Manuel comes this fall to @HBO. pic.twitter.com/wmYGqMOtS9
— His Dark Materials (@daemonsanddust) July 18, 2019
“HBO has already proven that with Game Of Thrones and the scale on which those episodes were shot, they looked like films, they were amazing.
“(TV) is not the poorer sister anymore. It’s actually where you can spend more time in storytelling and they have the money now to create the scale on which film used to be on.
“There’s no difference anymore and in a way, if you’re going to tell a drama – which this is, as well as being fantasy – you’ve got more time. You have eight hours to explore that, rather than an hour and a half.”
The His Dark Materials TV adaptation, set to air at the end of the year, has already been renewed for a second season. British star Wilson said it “feels special”.
She added: “It feels like we’re part of something big and iconic. And that we’re hopefully serving an audience that loves these books.
“I really hope we’re giving them what they’ve been waiting for.”