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In early 2002, fresh off their phenomenal success with "The Fellowship of the Ring," New Line Cinema purchases the film rights to the trilogy of books by Philip Pullman. This period of time following the success of Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter sees relentless acquisitions of fantasy titles by film studios.
Tom Stoppard writes a draft for the first entry in the planned film trilogy, "Northern Lights" (or "The Golden Compass," as it is known in America), and Sam Mendes is rumoured as a possible director.
Chris Weitz is hired as a controversial choice to direct. His previous credits, punctuated by the teen sex comedy, "American Pie," seem deficient to many fans of the series. In an even more controversial manuever, Weitz (and New Line) choose to drop Sir Tom Stoppard's screenplay in favor of one penned by Weitz himself. There are published rumours that certain thematic elements of the books, namely what some deem to be an anti-religious tone, have been dropped to avoid stirring up controversy amongst the conservative factions of the United States.
In December of 2004, Weitz reportedly resigns as director of the franchise, citing the extreme scope of the series as a personal deterrent.
12/29/04 - There has been no update regarding a new director assignment. Many fans (including the eternally vocal populace of the internet) hope for a reconsideration of Stoppard's screenplay by New Line Cinema, a choice that could attract a venerable talent to the director's chair and elevate the franchise to critical acclaim similar to what was annointed unto "The Lord of the Rings."
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