Lyra found for Philip Pullman's Dark Materials

With no previous film experience, 12 year old Brit Dakota Blue Richards has beaten off 10,000 other hopefuls for the part of Lyra in New Line Cinema's His Dark Materials trilogy. The Cambridge schoogirl got the part after open auditions earlier in the year.

The first film - the Golden Compass (Northern Lights in the UK) - is shortly to go into production with a rumoured budget of $150m. About a Boy and Antz director Chris Wietz is writer-director for the production which has already run into controversy after suggestions that references to God would be removed from the film. In the book, the planned overthrowing of heaven and killing of God and the establishment of a republic of heaven is a central theme. New Line are hoping that the Dark Materials Trilogy will replicate the success they enjoyed with the Lord of the Rings franchise, and fear that religious controversy will limit its box office chances more than would alienating fans of the book.

 Philip Pullman said, "I'm delighted with the casting of Dakota Blue Richards as Lyra. As soon as I saw Dakota's screen test, I realized that the search was over. Dakota has just the combination of qualities that make up the complicated character of this girl, and I very much look forward to seeing the film take shape, with Dakota's Lyra at the heart of it."

New Line have given the greenlight to production on The Golden Compass film and filming will begin September 4th, for a scheduled December 2007 release date.