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Author Topic: Make or break for "Golden Compass"?  (Read 1723 times)

B E C K

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Make or break for "Golden Compass"?
« on: Nov 27, 2007, 12:30:05 PM »
Or as I like to sometimes call it, "Harry Potter and the Golden Compass".  From Yahoo!:

Quote
Hollywood eyes super-series with "Golden Compass"

Tue Nov 27, 9:53 AM ET

For one Hollywood studio there is a lot riding on "The Golden Compass," the $180 million adaptation of Philip Pullman's novel "Northern Lights."

The film, based on the first part of Pullman's acclaimed "His Dark Materials" trilogy, premieres in London on Tuesday and stars Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig and young newcomer Dakota Blue Richards in the central role of Lyra.

Laden with computerized special effects including talking polar bears, warring witches and animal "daemons" that represent each human's soul, the film aims to go where the "Lord of the Rings," "Narnia" and "Harry Potter" series have gone before.

Director and screenplay writer Chris Weitz said the fate of films two and three in the Pullman series depends on how "The Golden Compass" performs, with more money riding on the movie for New Line than even on "Lord of the Rings."

Industry estimates show that each "Rings" film cost around half the amount of money to make as "The Golden Compass."

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"It's bigger than 'Lord of the Rings' in terms of its outlay," Weitz said in an interview. "And so 'The Golden Compass' becomes central to the future of the company."

Compared with "Lord of the Rings," "Harry Potter" and "Narnia," Pullman is relatively unknown, particularly in North America, making it a commercially more risky project.

"With the 'Lord of the Rings' they were so well known around the world that you could depend upon just the fandom to be this huge core demographic," Weitz told Reuters.

"So we knew that we needed to have a film that would appeal to families and children as well as to grown-ups and that meant handling some of the dark material carefully."

RELIGIOUS BOYCOTT

Even before the film's release on December 7, some conservative Christians in the United States have urged movie goers not to see it, basing their objections on Pullman's unflattering portrayal of the church, and specifically the Catholic faith.

In a storyline seen by many as an attack on religion, the church is linked with cruel experiments on children aimed at discovering the nature of sin and with attempts to suppress truths that would undermine its legitimacy and powet.

Weitz rejects such criticism, although he did consciously tone down religious elements of the original story.

"Yes, it (the trilogy) deals with theology and it deals with religion, but I think it deals with it in a much more subtle way than the people who want to boycott the film are regarding it."

Kidman, who is Catholic, said she did not want to be involved in a movie that was anti-religious or anti-Catholic.

"I come from a Catholic family so that's not something that my grandmother would be very happy about, and I really don't think that that's what I'm involved in," she told a news conference.

Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" film trilogy is a tough act for Weitz to follow, earning around $2.9 billion at the box office, according to movie tracking site www.boxofficemojo.com.

This only catches my eye because the trailers looked kinda suck-ass.  I dunno.  I could easily see this pulling a Waterworld style plummet.  Anyone here familiar with the books?

Derrick

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Re: Make or break for "Golden Compass"?
« Reply #1 on: Nov 27, 2007, 01:12:54 PM »
I tend to stay away from films that claim they're the next 'blah'. That shitty Jim Carrey movie was supposed to be the next DaVinci Code, the Starship Troopers movie was supposed to be the next St*r WarzzZZ, and Narnia was supposed to be the next Lord of the Rings.

The religious thing? Eh. Lord of the Rings was probably more anti-religious than anything else, what with wizards and elves and the like. I know Tolkien was a religion nut, but the movie was so fantasy-laden, it couldn't be anything but. Still, I won't probably see this until it's on TNT in 2 years.
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IDE

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Re: Make or break for "Golden Compass"?
« Reply #2 on: Nov 27, 2007, 02:06:35 PM »
I know the spoiler for this but sadly I don't think anyone cares...

there will never be another voldemort kills snape moment.  I guess I can yell snape kills dumbledore when that movie hits but it won't be the same!

*weeps*

Faye Valentine

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Re: Make or break for "Golden Compass"?
« Reply #3 on: Nov 27, 2007, 07:26:35 PM »
I think this movie is going to boooommbb! the last good movie that Nicole Kidman did was Moulin Rouge

Wickedly Yours E

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Re: Make or break for "Golden Compass"?
« Reply #4 on: Nov 27, 2007, 08:01:07 PM »
This movie costs TWICE as much as Lord Of the Rings did to make? Are they SERIOUS? They spent like FIVE YEARS FILMING the entire LOTR Trilogy, and like at least a couple million in the CGI!
« Last Edit: Nov 27, 2007, 08:02:59 PM by Wickedly Yours E »

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B E C K

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Re: Make or break for "Golden Compass"?
« Reply #5 on: Nov 27, 2007, 08:12:14 PM »
I know the spoiler for this but sadly I don't think anyone cares...

there will never be another voldemort kills snape moment.  I guess I can yell snape kills dumbledore when that movie hits but it won't be the same!

*weeps*

I know some spoilers but I'm not certain which one you mean.  Well if you post it here, it doesn't look like anyone'll care.

I tend to stay away from films that claim they're the next 'blah'. That shitty Jim Carrey movie was supposed to be the next DaVinci Code, the Starship Troopers movie was supposed to be the next Retard Wars, and Narnia was supposed to be the next Lord of the Rings.

Yeah, I know what you mean.  Ppl should just focus on making good movies, not making them the next whatever.  That's like already saying "hey, we know this isn't as good as it should be to stand out on its own, but we think it can be second-best at most."  ftw

My issue though is more with the fact that the preview I saw was extremely unimpressive.  I don't know if its something I'd even watch on TV.  I had no problems with the talking animals in Narnia but here it looks goofy.  The animals are supposed to be serious characters, but it doesn't come off that way.  While the girl, her ferret, and the compass appear to be interesting, they sadly are the only elements that had any iota of appeal.  And the preview also included a plot occurance I would deem a spoiler.  I don't think ppl are as familiar with the books as the filmmakers assume for them to be giving away so much of the plot.  The preview itself could've been constructed better.

IDE

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Re: Make or break for "Golden Compass"?
« Reply #6 on: Nov 27, 2007, 08:37:18 PM »
Whatever I wouldn't maliciously spoil you guys anyways.  I mean the spoiler about who dies at the end though.

Derrick

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Re: Make or break for "Golden Compass"?
« Reply #7 on: Nov 27, 2007, 10:02:26 PM »
My issue though is more with the fact that the preview I saw was extremely unimpressive.  I don't know if its something I'd even watch on TV.  I had no problems with the talking animals in Narnia but here it looks goofy.  The animals are supposed to be serious characters, but it doesn't come off that way.  While the girl, her ferret, and the compass appear to be interesting, they sadly are the only elements that had any iota of appeal.  And the preview also included a plot occurance I would deem a spoiler.  I don't think ppl are as familiar with the books as the filmmakers assume for them to be giving away so much of the plot.  The preview itself could've been constructed better.

When I saw the preview, I thought this.

[attachment deleted by admin]
I said its hot outside let me go swimming in your eyes;
We been running for awhile. Why don't you lay dow, I'll make you smile.
I could never ask for nothing better than this;
It's just tequila and the beach, it's quite salty when we kiss.