Back in December 2004, writer-director Chris Weitz decided that tackling movie of the first part of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy was too much of a technical challenge for him and skedaddled from the big chair.
But now he’s back to direct the script that he wrote, based on Pullman’s first book, The Golden Compass (or, to give it it’s proper UK title, Northern Lights). After he left the first time, New Line replaced him with Shopgirl director Anand Tucker, who left earlier this year in a fit of creative differences.
So it’s welcome back Weitz and New Line’s team seem happy that they’ve tempted him to return: “Chris absolutely over delivered on the script. He wrote a very strong adaptation of Golden Compass, and we are eager to see him bring those pages to life on the screen,” enthused president of production Toby Emmerich. Let’s hope he stays this time…