25 books that should have never been made into films The Golden Compass (2007)

In another case of Hollywood throwing money at something in the belief that will be enough, Philip Pullman’s superb His Dark Materials trilogy – or rather, the first book Northern Lights – was condensed into an agonising mess of CGI and hammy acting in 2007's The Golden Compass. Much of the blame went to the fact that Hollywood, where God is thanked above anyone else at the Oscars, would likely be uncomfortable handling material that was so critical of the Catholic church. It also suffered by trying to condense an overwhelming amount of information into the opening few scenes. A forthcoming BBC adaptation starring James McAvoy and Lin-Manuel Miranda looks far more promising.

Entertainment Film Distributors