AceShowbiz -

Wanting to repeat the success of Lord of the Rings trilogy, New Line Cinema now takes full attention to bring up "The Golden Compass" to the big screen. The film company has announced on Thursday, June 29 its intention to start the filming production of the picture on September 4 in U.K. with estimated budget around $150 million.

Produced by Andrew Miano and Bill Carraro, "Golden Compass" sure is one ambitious project of New Line, consisting an all-star production team, mostly Oscar-nominated, which includes Dennis Gassner in production design, Ruth Myers in costume, and Mike Fink in visual effects. Meanwhile, directing task is entrusted to the hand of "About a Boy" director, Paul Weist, with newcomer Dakota Blue Richards billed to play the lead character, Lyra Belacqua.

Adapted from the first of the "His Dark Materials" trilogy written by award-winning author Philip Pullman, the movie follows the story of a young girl who undergoes a long journey to save her best friend. Traveling to the far north, she later bumps into shape-shifting creatures, witches, and a variety of otherworldly characters in parallel universes.