# The Golden Compass test trailer **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 28, 2007, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-golden-compass-test-trailer/397888 "2007-03-28T20:13:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Pazu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pazu/32/15522_2.png) [@Pazu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pazu)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2007, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-golden-compass-test-trailer/397888/1 "2007-03-28T20:13:59Z")
Has anyone else seen this? Most of the CGI is unfinished, but I think it still looks pretty neat. [Golden Compass test trailer](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZA1omvS3MI). Loved the book; looking forward to the movie! ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2007, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-golden-compass-test-trailer/397888/2 "2007-03-28T20:20:01Z")
Oh wow, i had no idea they were making movies out of those books. I just finished reading _The Golden Compass_ a few days ago, that looks great!. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2007, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-golden-compass-test-trailer/397888/3 "2007-03-28T21:14:46Z")
I believe the trailer is mosty designed for theatre owners / distributors/ potential marketing partners. previous threads (or at least posts by me) > **[A visit to the set of The Golden Compass](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=405706)** > > From other Dark Materials threads there seems to be some interest so here is a decription of a press junkett: http://www.bridgetothestars.net/index.php?d=movie&p=setvisit Brian > **[Golden Compass stills](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=402843)** > > New Line is starting the propaganda for next December’s Golden Compass (part one of the Dark Materials trilogy). Nicole dooes look seductively evil in some of those shots. Brian Brian p.s. One snarky comment I read on AICN: “From the company desparate to do something cool without Peter Jackson” ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2007, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-golden-compass-test-trailer/397888/4 "2007-03-28T22:29:42Z")
Ooooh, nice job with the bear. And Sam Elliott! So is this going to be a trilogy? I saw some scenes in the trailer that I don’t recall from the first book. They aren’t going to tell the whole story in one movie, are they? ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2007, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-golden-compass-test-trailer/397888/5 "2007-03-28T22:35:41Z")
Is it me, or do the daemons look like cartoons? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2007, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-golden-compass-test-trailer/397888/6 "2007-03-28T22:45:20Z")
[QUOTE=koeeoaddi] Is it me, or do the daemons look like cartoons? [/QUOTE] They’re not finished yet. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2007, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-golden-compass-test-trailer/397888/7 "2007-03-28T23:11:55Z")
[QUOTE=Diogenes the Cynic] They’re not finished yet. [/QUOTE] Of course! I knew that. Really. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2007, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-golden-compass-test-trailer/397888/8 "2007-03-28T23:37:19Z")
Between this and _Stardust_, it is going to be a most _excellent_ year. _quietly explodes with glee to self_ ---
**Author:** ![athelas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@athelas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/athelas)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2007, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-golden-compass-test-trailer/397888/9 "2007-03-29T00:23:50Z")
Looks like they’re going all-out steampunk on the design. Interesting… ---
**Author:** ![Delly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Delly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Delly)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2007, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-golden-compass-test-trailer/397888/10 "2007-03-29T01:23:47Z")
The trailer looks good, am looking forward to seeing the movie - I think Lyra looks older then she should though. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2007, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-golden-compass-test-trailer/397888/11 "2007-03-29T01:43:07Z")
And some inside dope: the guy who is directing this (Chris Weitz) will be working on an Elric movie next (yes the Michael Moorcock antihero). Hence I hope this does well so that this next project goes through effortlessly. ---
**Author:** ![Viridiana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/ebca7d/32.png) [@Viridiana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Viridiana)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2007, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-golden-compass-test-trailer/397888/12 "2007-03-29T02:20:28Z")
I think they should have gotten a different casting director. But I’ll still see it. ---
**Author:** ![Pazu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pazu/32/15522_2.png) [@Pazu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pazu)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2007, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-golden-compass-test-trailer/397888/13 "2007-03-29T04:34:01Z")
It’s kind of funny; the first time I read the trilogy, I always envisioned Mrs. Coulter as a blonde (probably because of the golden monkey). It was only when I re-read it a few months ago that I realized she was supposed to have _dark_ hair. And yet, when I saw (blonde) Nicole Kidman as Mrs. Coulter, I thought, “Yeah, she looks right.” :smack: ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2007, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-golden-compass-test-trailer/397888/14 "2007-03-29T13:27:21Z")
FWIW Phillup Pullman thought Nicole Kidman would make a good choice for Mrs Coulter before she was cast > **[Movie gold](https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/879358.movie-gold/)** > > Oxford author Philip Pullman has said he is delighted that Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman will star in the film adaptation of his novel… Brian ---
**Author:** ![Pazu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pazu/32/15522_2.png) [@Pazu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pazu)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2007, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-golden-compass-test-trailer/397888/15 "2007-03-29T18:02:15Z")
[QUOTE=N9IWP] FWIW Phillup Pullman thought Nicole Kidman would make a good choice for Mrs Coulter before she was cast [/QUOTE] Good to know. I wonder if he was envisioning her with dyed hair or not. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2007, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-golden-compass-test-trailer/397888/16 "2007-03-29T18:40:48Z")
The only thing I know about this movie is- Armored Polar Bears. That’s all I need to know to buy my ticket. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2007, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-golden-compass-test-trailer/397888/17 "2007-03-30T17:56:41Z")
I always pictured Coulter as a blonde too. Odd. [QUOTE=Pazu] Good to know. I wonder if he was envisioning her with dyed hair or not. 😉 [/QUOTE] She could have. Nicole looks beautiful in dark hair. I wonder whose idea it was to keep it blonde? These scenes look great. It’s been years since I read the books so I don’t notice anything majorly out of place. When I heard they were making the movie I thought maybe I should re-read the books, but I don’t think I will. I now want the movie versions to be in my head. ---
**Author:** ![Pazu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pazu/32/15522_2.png) [@Pazu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pazu)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2007, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-golden-compass-test-trailer/397888/18 "2007-03-30T18:38:52Z")
[QUOTE=Equipoise] I always pictured Coulter as a blonde too. Odd. She could have. Nicole looks beautiful in dark hair. I wonder whose idea it was to keep it blonde? These scenes look great. It’s been years since I read the books so I don’t notice anything majorly out of place. When I heard they were making the movie I thought maybe I should re-read the books, but I don’t think I will. I now want the movie versions to be in my head. [/QUOTE] It seems like they’re trying to do a pretty faithful adaptation. However, I did notice in the IMDB cast list that there’s someone named “Ragnar Sturlusson” as a voice credit, and I don’t remember a character by that name. My gut feeling is that they may have renamed the usurper-bear (since Iorek and Iofur might sound too similar on-screen). Regarding how folks picture the characters, I had a rather enlightening discussion with my wife last night. We were discussing the casting of Daniel Craig as Lord Asriel, and she said that she had always pictured Lord Asriel with long silvery hair like the guy who plays Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter movies. I was surprised because I had a very distinct impression of someone with dark grizzled hair and a beard. So we opened the book and discovered that the description of Lord Asriel was limited to saying he was large and with powerful shoulders and piercing eyes (or something like that). So we’re all free to imagine whatever hair and eye color we like! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Autumn\_Almanac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d26b3c/32.png) [@Autumn\_Almanac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autumn_Almanac)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2007, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-golden-compass-test-trailer/397888/19 "2007-03-30T18:46:00Z")
Are there already plans to make films of all three books in the trilogy, or will it depend on how well the first film does? I read that the director plans to tone down the anti-religion themes in Pullman’s writing. Seems like a pretty simple thing to do for _Golden Compass_, which is a pretty straightforward adventure story at heart, but I imagine that the other two books will need to be pretty heavily re-engineered. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2007, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-golden-compass-test-trailer/397888/20 "2007-03-30T20:25:32Z")
[QUOTE=Pazu] So we opened the book and discovered that the description of Lord Asriel was limited to saying he was large and with powerful shoulders and piercing eyes (or something like that). So we’re all free to imagine whatever hair and eye color we like! 🙂 [/QUOTE] If there’s one thing Daniel Craig has in abundance, it’s piercing eyes! He’s not large, but he bulked up enough for **Casino Royale** that he can still be intimidating. I assume they’re going to film all three. I don’t know why they didn’t do all three back to back like LOTR. The action all takes place in a very short amount of time, IIRC, and a growth spurt could be bad for the child actors. l personally hope they don’t tone down anything, but it’s probably a given. This first one especially has to appeal to a large audience or else they may not GET to do the 2nd and 3rd films. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-golden-compass-test-trailer/397888.md?page=2)