The Independent reports that controversy is erupting over New Line's developing adaptation of the Philip Pullman fantasy novels "His Dark Materials" in regards to the film's script. Oscar-winning screenwriter Sir Tom Stoppard ("Shakespeare in Love", "Brazil", "Empire of the Sun", "The Russia House") was hired to script the epic and completed his draft screenplay for the first installment, "The Golden Compass", several months ago.
Then, this week Stoppard admitted he had heard nothing since its submission and with the appointment of Chris Weitz ("About a Boy", "American Pie") as director, Stoppard assumes his services are no longer required - "As far as I was made aware, New Line Cinema and Philip Pullman all liked it. Then Chris Weitz got the job. And he likes to write his own scripts" said Weitz.
The appointment of Weitz has raised concerns over whether the man can tackle the dark and philosophical fantasy trilogy. Weitz recently defended his posting saying "I try to make every film I make as the best possible film of that sort. I regard HDM [His Dark Materials] as the most important work of my life, in part because it is one of the few books to have changed my life, and in part because ... I think it is a great work of the imagination. It is full of profound meanings, wisdom and intellect. It requires an approach at every point cognisant of those strengths." Thanks to 'Matt'
