14 DAY TRIAL // New Line Cinema is about to start production of a movie adaptation to writer Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" trilogy. Variety story reports that Sega received the video game rights for a game heavy on the said movie tie-ins. The first trilogy entry is already being filmed; The Golden Compass scheduled for release alongside Sega's game adaptation on the November 2007 launch. The film features stars Nicole Kidman, Eva Green, and Daniel Craig.
"Based on the bestselling Philip Pullman novels, the "His Dark Materials" trilogy is comprised of "The Golden Compass," "The Subtle Knife" and "The Amber Spyglass". It revolves around a young girl who travels to the far north to save her best friend. Along the way, she encounters shape-shifting creatures, witches, and a variety of otherworldly characters in parallel universes."
Among other companies, Electronic Arts made several successful stand alone "Lord of the Rings" games, without story interference connected to movie tie-ins. New Line and book-rights holder recently extended their EA deals and now we can be expecting even more. In a similar fashion, Sega would have to make a separate deal to produce games not tied to film releases, but they're not the only ones benefiting from the franchise. In the next few weeks, the studio is expected to announce several other licensing deals for "His Dark Materials", including toy manufacture and a flurry of promotional partners.