Daniel Craig takes on fantasy role of Lord Asriel

By M&C News Aug 19, 2006, 0:19 GMT

Actors Daniel Craig (R) and Eva Green take a break while filming the latest James Bond sequel \'Casino Royale\' in Venice, Italy Saturday 03 June 2006. EPA/ANDREA MEROLA

Los Angeles, CA USA (M&C) - New Line intends to bring Philip Pullman’s “His Dark Materials” series to the big screen and they have tapped the latest James Bond, Daniel Craig to play a lead role.

The first part of a planned trilogy, ‘The Golden Compass’ will focus on Lord Asriel, (Craig), an adventurer and his niece Lyra Belacqua, who journeys to a parallel universe of shape shifting creatures to save her best friend and other kidnapped children.

While no star has officially been named to play Lyra, it is reported that Dakota Richards is in talks with New Line.

Eva Green will play Serafina Pekkala, a kindly witch who helps Lyra navigate through the third dimension world. Craig last met Green on the set of ‘Casino Royale’ where she played opposite him as Vesper Lynd.

New Line has attached Chris Weitz to direct and write script.

Other titles in the triology include “The Subtitle Knife” and “The Amber Spyglass”.

Craig is scheduled to return to his James Bond role in the 22nd installment which New Line expects to get into theaters May 2, 2008.

However if New Line moves forward with the entire trilogy, he will have to spend some of his acting time on the Pullman stories as his character Asriel is a central figure in each story.

New Line plans to release ‘The Golden Compass’ in December 2007

Copyright 2006 by Monsters and Critics