Screenwriter Jack Thorne has spoken about the challenges of adapting Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials for television, describing the process as a 'PhD in Philip Pullman'. The BBC adaptation, starring James McAvoy, Ruth Wilson and Lin-Manuel Miranda, airs next month.
Thorne met with Pullman multiple times at his farmhouse outside Oxford to ensure the adaptation remained faithful to the books. 'Philip's been the person who has created Lyra's story and I'm trying to be as faithful to her as he was,' Thorne said. 'There are some demands of the medium that mean sometimes you have to step away. But I do it reluctantly and as faithfully as I possibly can.'
The writer, known for National Treasure and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, compared working with Pullman to his experience with JK Rowling. 'With Philip my job is to serve the books. But with Jo it was serving the characters – but 19 years later,' he explained. Thorne admitted being starstruck by Rowling, even asking his wife to check his emails before sending them.
Thorne's latest TV drama, The Accident, concludes a trilogy that includes National Treasure and Kiri. He also recently wrote a play about his parents, The End of The World, which received rave reviews.
