'Golden Compass' Ending Overhauled
The Chris Weitz-helmed pic will save the book's last three chapters for the sequel.
GARTH FRANKLIN at Dark Horizons has acquired confirmation that New Line's upcoming fantasy flick The Golden Compass is getting a new ending.
In an 9 October blog post, writer-director Chris Weitz (About A Boy) explained that the closing chapters of the Philip Pullman book, intended to cap the Compass adaptation, now will be included in the "inevitable" screen treatment of The Subtle Knife.
Recent reports suggested that responsibility for the change lay with New Line chief Robert Shaye (The Last Mimzy), who allegedly feels that the book's dark ending might prove a commercial risk.
However, Weitz assigned no blame in his blog. "To me, this provides the most promising conclusion to the first film and the best possible beginning to the second."
The Golden Compass, the tale of Lyra Belacqua (Dakota Blue Richards) and her journey to save kidnapped children in a parallel universe, stars Nicole Kidman, Eva Green and Daniel Craig.