Chris Weitz - The Director of His Dark Materials | ||||
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| This is the section about the director of the film and why the Members of the Society do not think he is the right person for the job. Sir Tom Stoppard, who wrote the beautiful Shakespeare In Love, was originally the script writer for His Dark Materials but he was replaced by Chris Weitz in May 2004 when Weitz was appointed director. | ||||
His own scripts include the screenplay for About A Boy which was adapted from the novel by Nick Hornby and was changed a lot in the adaptation. If you, like many others, are concerned about how much the film will need to be changed then just look at the difference in plot and style between the book by Nick Hornby and the film by Chris Weitz. Your fears will be confirmed, we are sorry to say. |
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We've seen his writing credits but what else has he directed? Weitz directed the extremely popular teen film American Pie which, funnily enough, does share certain things with His Dark Materials. American Pie is a coming of age film, and so is His Dark Materials but the similarity stops there. American Pie is, without a doubt, a purely entertaining film with no emotional, social, religious or controversial aspects to it. His Dark Materials carries a very strong anti-religious message which is highly controversial and doesn't shy away from the religious zealots. American Pie, on the other hand, is about a group of boys who make a deal to lose their virginity by or on prom night. | ||||
Don't get us wrong, American Pie has its values - it's entertaining and funny and many teenagers can relate to it but it's as far away from His Dark Materials as it is possible to be. His Dark Materials is a highly complex story with many layers and it is our firm belief that this complexity will not be portrayed in an adaptation made by Chris Weitz. | ||||
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