Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials adaptation gets a director and a star

The adaptation of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials is beginning to take shape with two new additions.

Deadline reports that Logan break-out star, Dafne Keen, has signed onto star as the young protagonist, Lyra. BBC also secured The King’s Speech director Tom Hooper — even though he is slated to direct Bad Wolf for BBC One. Fans of the franchise can get excited knowing that Pullman is getting the best for his adaptation.

While there’s no news on which network will get the overseas rights to the series. His Dark Materials has been one of the most popular book series in recent years with both Netflix and Apple vying to air it. It follows the story of a young orphan girl who travels through parallel universes trying to track down the cause of a mysterious energy called Dust.

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The first novel was made into a big-budget movie starring Daniel Craig and Nicole Kidman that never took off.

While most roles remain uncast, Dafne Keen is a sign that the rest of the ensemble will be impressive. The young actress rose to fame last year in Logan as Wolverine’s daughter Laura. She’s trading in claws for a dæmon named Pantalaimon who will travel with her through different universes. Her journey will lead her to meet a few different people, including her morally compromised parents and a boy named Will.

Hooper is the big draw for His Dark Materials with his prolific film résumé. Known for The King’s Speech, The Danish Girl, and a few others, Hooper has established himself as an award-winning director. He hasn’t directed television since a 2008 HBO miniseries, and this should be a triumphant return to the silver screen.

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The bidding war has already begun and with Hooper on board, BBC should expect a lot of networks trying to get the rights.

Production for His Dark Materials is expected to begin soon with filming taking place in Wales. In the upcoming weeks, more casting will be announced which will shine a light on what books will take place in season one.