Why HBO’s 23-Part Masterpiece Is Hands Down Fantasy’s Best Live-Action Adaptation
From failed films to television
Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials novels first reached cinemas with The Golden Compass in 2007. The film received poor reviews, underperformed at the box office and faced religious backlash, and plans for a continuing film franchise were dropped.
The television adaptation arrived on BBC One and HBO in November 2019. Across three seasons, it follows Lyra Belacqua, played by Dafne Keen, as she searches for a missing friend and uncovers a global kidnapping plot connected to Dust.
A world built around character
The series’ strength, the article argues, comes less from visual spectacle than from Jack Thorne’s writing and its close attention to Pullman’s world. Human souls appear as animal companions called daemons, and the show develops them as characters rather than relying on their appearance alone.
That characterization gives emotional force to intercision, the severing of the bond between a person and their daemon. The story also preserves its difficult themes, including the hardships of growing up and the Magisterium’s religious authority.
A complete adaptation
His Dark Materials tells its story over three seasons, with one season for each Pullman novel, and concludes with an ending described as faithful to the source. The article contrasts that complete arc with fantasy series that are canceled before reaching their intended conclusion.
It also compares the show with Game of Thrones, which it says declined in quality after moving beyond George R.R. Martin’s unfinished books. For the article, adapting a full story while respecting its source is a key measure of success.
Why the film fell short
The Golden Compass was promoted as a family-friendly fantasy franchise, but its adaptation softened the books’ religious criticism. Its Magisterium became an authoritarian government body rather than an explicit church organization, weakening the story’s central emotional thread.
The film still drew criticism, including a boycott call from the Catholic League, while also alienating Pullman fans. It earned more than $372 million worldwide against a $180 million budget, but the franchise did not continue.
Key points
- His Dark Materials premiered on BBC One and HBO in November 2019.
- The three-season series adapts one Philip Pullman novel per season.
- The show keeps the books’ religious critique and gives daemons emotional depth.
- The Golden Compass earned over $372 million worldwide against a $180 million budget.