HBO and BBC’s adaptation of Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy is off to a great start and is already fixing the movie’s biggest mistakes. His Dark Material’s series premiere introduced fans to a new version of Pullman’s world and reassured everyone who was afraid that the TV series would fall into the same pitfalls as the film. The movie adaptation The Golden Compass was released in 2007, and despite a star-studded cast and an existing fanbase, it was a critical flop, and the planned sequels were canceled.
The Golden Compass was a brilliant film from a visual perspective, of course (it even won an Oscar for visual effects), but it failed to succeed in bringing the magic of the books to life. The film seemed more concerned with creating a beautiful world, and recreating specific scenes from the source material, rather than getting to the heart of the books. His Dark Materials is a trilogy that deals with fairly intense subject matter, and this was ignored in favor of pretty scenery and costumes. Thankfully, though, while the His Dark Materials TV show is still beautifully shot, it sidesteps these mistakes and creates something far more watchable.
One of the biggest improvements that His Dark Materials has made over The Golden Compass is the decision to make the Magisterium a far larger and more looming presence from the start. In both the books and the film, the importance of the Magisterium takes a long time to be revealed, and the early parts of Lyra’s adventures seem somewhat lacking in an out-and-out villain. While this works for the books, it’s not ideal for the adaptation, as the storyline becomes a little too wandering. In the His Dark Materials TV series, though, the Magisterium is powerfully present as the villain from the start - but this is done without spelling everything out for the viewer.
The Magisterium barely appears in the His Dark Materials series premiere, except for a single scene, which gives viewers a sense of the size and power of this governing power. However, the Magisterium is still mentioned throughout (usually in hushed and fearful tones). The ideas of laws, heresy, and sanctuary are established from the get-go, and this creates a real sense of how the Magisterium is going to be what Lyra is battling against in the end.
In addition, the series isn’t afraid to cut and change the details of the story from the books. The premiere sees the addition of several scenes - including the Gyptian coming-of-age ceremony and the opening scene during the flood - that help build the world effectively, as well as the deletion of many scenes that were enjoyable and beautiful but not necessary. It’s clear that BBC and HBO are focusing on the scope of the story and planning ahead, rather than simply trying to lift directly from the page (an approach that may please purists, but isn’t always ideal for new viewers). His Dark Materials is darker, more grounded, and clearer from the start, while still promising plenty of twists, turns, and of course, magic. That’s at least more than what The Golden Compass did.
Next: His Dark Materials Cast & Character Guide
