OO7 set for Pullman trilogy

Daniel Craig is set to star in The Golden Compass, a film that is hoping to rival Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings and the Chronicles of Narnia.It's a big budget adaptation of the His Dark Materials trilogy by British author Philip Pullman. Directed by US film-maker Chris Weitz, the £90 million movie also stars Nicole Kidman and Eva Green among others.While Craig might be better known for his portrayal of James Bond he was very keen to jump on board.He said: "The books I've read many times and I'm a big fan of the trilogy so I had this secret desire to play him [the character of Lord Asriel] when I first read them and it worked out."The 39-year-old actor is reunited on screen with Casino Royal co-star Eva Green, who explains the plot."It's a fantastic story and at the centre is this little girl, Lyra, who's 12-years-old and she embarks on this crazy journey and goes through a lot of experiences. It's a journey of self-discovery and is a beautiful story," she said.British schoolgirl Dakota Blue Richards was chosen from some 10,000 girls who turned up to audition for the part of Lyra.The film opens in December and it'll have a lot to live up to with the first four Harry Potter films raking in £1.75 billion worth of business and the Chronicles of Narnia taking over £300 million.© Independent Television News Limited 2007. All rights reserved.

ITN | May 24, 2007

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