The controversial fantasy film The Golden Compass opens today in theaters across the United States.
With a production budget reported to be in the $150 million range, the film will have to sell a boatload of tickets in the United States and abroad if the investors are to get any return on their money—and the controversy over the film’s origins in the first novel of an openly atheistic trilogy of books does not help things from their perspective.
Auithor Philip Pullman intended the "His Dark Materials" trilogy as an atheist’s alternative to C. S. Lewis’s Narnia books, which Pullman finds utterly repulsive for the author’s intent to provide an engaging introduction to Christian concepts.
Christian groups have been out and about warning against The Golden Compass, as we noted last week.
We’ll take a look at the movie itself soon, but in the meantime those interested in the ideas behind it and the controversy around it can find our story on the subject here.
Very good observation, Pascal. I think that the atheist supporters of Pullman and his works are indeed worried about whether this film will succeed.
Since I commented in both your last episode and in my more extensive email to you, Breitbart/AFP had the temerity to understate Mr. Pullman’s attitude as “a confirmed agnostic” here.
That sure looks like nervous spin was slipped in at that site. I had heretofore thought of Breitbart as not too biased to the left.
That bit of spin insulted legitimate agnostics by associating Mr. Pullman with them. Thus it struck me as it might not you. Nor would it occur to the writer that such was an insult were he an atheist (and more likely supporter of Mr Pullman).
I think this suggests that the controversy over the film’s origins and its creator has anti-theistic sympathizers quite fearful too.
For this well-written series not to succeed in its big-budget transfer to cinema — good, popular actors and winning director — would be a sure sign that the militant atheist’s ideology had peaked.
That would leave the anti-West Left returning again to the West’s other fundamental assaulter — Islam.
Thus, were I them, I’d be worried too.