HBO’s ‘His Dark Materials’ Trailer Warms My ‘Golden Compass’ Loving Heart

HBO unveiled a brand new trailer for its upcoming series, His Dark Materials, at San Diego Comic-Con last night and Golden Compass fans —  like myself — are psyched. Unlike the iffy 2007 film adaptation of The Golden Compass, His Dark Materials seems to get what made Philip Pullman’s novels so good. Dafne Keen’s Lyra is righteously angry, James McAvoy is playing Lord Asriel as frustratingly defiant, and Ruth Wilson practically vibrates with dark, sexy energy as Marisa Coulter. If His Dark Materials winds up delivering on its trailer’s promise, it might well be one of the best fantasy adaptations ever.

Before Harry Potter took over the world, budding fantasy nerds had Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials. The late ’90s fantasy trilogy introduced readers to the world of a scrappy orphan in Oxford named Lyra and her daemon, Pantalaimon. In Lyra’s world every human’s soul lived outside their bodies, in the form of a tethered animal spirit bound to them by something called “dust.” Lyra is soon pulled into a dangerous war between her rebellious uncle, Lord Asriel, and the ruling class known as the Magisterium. Guiding Lyra are a number of helpful mentors and a mysterious device called an alethiometer, a golden compass that points her to the truth. Though the first book was originally published as Northern Lights, it later gained fame as The Golden Compass. (So yes, His Dark Materials is the same thing as The Golden Compass.)

In 2007, the first book in Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy was adapted for the screen, but The Golden Compass was trying way too hard to capitalize off of the Harry Potter hype train. Though Dakota Blue Richards looked exactly like the book’s description of Lyra, she was too sweet. The tone of the film was too peppy, and the complex battle for total freedom was watered down. It just lacked the bite and scope of Pullman’s original work, and it was a box office dud.

HBO’s new adaptation is a collaboration with the BBC, and it’s coming to television on the heels of Game of Thrones‘s final bow. On the surface, the two stories have a lot in common. We’re following a plucky orphan whose father figure is branded a traitor, and the story takes us “North,” where fantasy creatures roam. However, what sets His Dark Materials apart is what happens after Lyra’s introductory chapter to the story. Book 2, The Subtle Knife, introduces additional parallel worlds to Lyra’s, and a charming young hero named Will. The fact that they’ve already announced Amir Wilson is playing Will in the series signals that His Dark Materials plans on expanding its scope.

But what makes fans of the books hyped is this San Diego Comic-Con trailer. The eerie ominous tone, the simple way the world’s key moving parts are introduced, the steampunk-lite aesthetics of the design…it’s all incredibly promising. Even more so? It feels like this cast has a better grip on what makes their characters tick. In just a few short scenes, we see Keen erupt in frustration at her uncle for leaving and later for being kept in the dark about what’s really going on. Lyra was a charmingly scrappy tomboy, but so much of her aggression comes from that very frustration of being an orphan left behind to be raised by cold, distracted scholars. As the secrets about her own origin come to light, that frustration turns to fury over how she’s been kept in the dark for so long.

McAvoy, who might be one of the best actors to constantly dabble in sci-fi and fantasy, also seems to understand that what makes Lord Asriel engaging isn’t his inherent nobility, but his refusal to let it define him. He is a gentleman explorer, with an emphasis on the second part. He can’t be tamed and longs to break free of all constraints. By contrast, Mrs. Coulter (Wilson), is a woman who finds her power in wielding the cudgel of the rules. She’s ambitious, ruthless, and her very chilly demeanor is what makes her so incendiary. Finally, there’s Iorek Byrnson…the armored polar bear who becomes Lyra’s most ferocious champion. The trailer shows us how he’s introduced: angry, abandoned, and thirsty for revenge. He may not be Lyra’s daemon, but he is a kindred spirit, physically possessing the strength that Lyra has in her heart.

Essentially, His Dark Materials looks good. This early sneak peek feels gnarly and gritty and full of tumult and anger. It feels like the world Philip Pullman actually described in his books, and not a scrubbed down version of it Hollywood would prefer.

His Dark Materials premieres on HBO this fall.