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Pullman on The Golden Compass (which he's seen three times!)

"It's beautiful to look at - it's extraordinary to look at. The special effects are quite amazing and the performances, especially from Dakota Blue Richards - who plays the main character, Lyra - are wonderful. And it tells my story simply and clearly and swiftly - I couldn't really expect much more than that."

Author Philip Pullman

Pullman had no control over the making of the film but is adamant that he didn't want any: "It's not my job to make a film - and it's certainly not the job of the writer of a book to stand there and say 'do this, do that... oh, you've missed a bit out'"

Pullman on the Compass controversy

The religious content of the book is integral to the plot, although certain groups have accused Pullman of being anti-Christian.

He counters this by saying: "The religious controversy is almost entirely an American phenomenon. America, as we know, has a particular and intense relationship with religion which just doesn't seem to exist in most other parts of the world, and the fuss that one individual has tried to whip up over the past couple of weeks is entirely limited, as far as I can make out, to the United States."

And the cast...

"I thought that if anybody could play the part of Mrs Coulter, it would be Nicole Kidman. She is the most extraordinary actress as well as being the most beautiful woman in the world - the embodiment of every kind of film star glamour that ever was.

"Glamour is what's important for this particular part, as well as supreme acting ability, and Nicole has all of those qualities - so I was very, very pleased when she responded to my request and agreed to play the part.

"The cast is quite extraordinary, but the centre of the film, the centre of the story, is the little girl Lyra. And finding the right actress to play her was the most important thing - probably more important than anything else - and thank goodness we found the right girl. Dakota Blue Richards is an amazing discovery. She plays the part to Perfection. She IS the part, really."

You can listen to the full interview with Philip Pullman by clicking on the link below: