Just in time for the end of Game of Thrones, HBO has revealed a new teaser for its version of His Dark Materials, giving us a glimpse of the rich world of Philip Pullman’s fantasy trilogy.
The series, headlined by James McAvoy and Lin Manuel Miranda, is a co-production with the BBC and offers an alternative to the 2007 film adaptation The Golden Compass. The new teaser is longer and delves more into the mythos of Philip Pullman’s world; we see the grandiose airships, the fighting polar bears, and best of all, the creatures known as daemons. For those uninitiated with the books, think of the daemons as your loveable partner Pokémon, except they’re manifestations of your soul and you can’t be physically separated from them without intense trauma. Very cute!
His Dark Materials centers on Lyra Belacqua (Logan’s Dafne Keen), the headstrong heroine of the series, raised by the scholars of this world’s Oxford College. After she witnesses her uncle Asriel (McAvoy) almost get poisoned and finds out her dear friend has gone missing, she is adopted by glamorous socialite Mrs. Coulter (Ruth Wilson) — but that’s only the start of her adventures. She eventually runs into armored polar bears, a clan of witches, and a traveling aviator who flies by hot air balloon (Lin Manuel Miranda). Gifted with a cryptic truth-telling device known as the Alethiometer, Lyra sets off on a quest that challenges the very nature of her world.
The series is set to follow the entire book trilogy, which means that eventually Lyra will stumble into our own world and meet regular ol’ boy Will Parry, though word’s out on just where in the books this first season ends.
His Dark Materials will premiere later this year on HBO.