I've been excited about the possibilities of the film versions of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy (the theatrical production is apparently amazing), but things like this have dampened it significantly:
THE Hollywood adaptation of Philip Pullman’s trilogy His Dark Materials, in which two children do battle with an evil, all-powerful church, is being rewritten to remove anti-religious overtones. Chris Weitz, the director, has horrified fans by announcing that references to the church are likely to be banished in his film. Meanwhile the “Authority”, the weak God figure, will become “any arbitrary establishment that curtails the freedom of the individual”.
The interview this comes from is here. Weitz is in a difficult position, as an anti-religious film would face financing problems, but tearing out one of the core elements of the story could drive away the fanbase, which would certainly make success difficult.
Another bad sign: firing Tom Stoppard.
Maybe I should just hope a Vancouver theatre puts on a production.
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