Sega grabs <i>His Dark Materials</i>

Electronic Arts has done well with its Lord of the Rings games based on the New Line Cinema trilogy of films, themselves based on the fantasy novel trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien. Now Sega is hoping to follow suit, as the publisher today announced that it has picked up the rights to make games based on another New Line Cinema trilogy of films based on a fantasy novel trilogy: Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials series.

The His Dark Materials books have sold over 10 million worldwide to date, with an adaptation of the first book, The Golden Compass, set to arrive in theaters November 16, 2007. The first film carries a budget of $150 million and boasts some star power with Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman (Eyes Wide Shut, Days of Thunder) and the new James Bond, Daniel Craig (Layer Cake, A Kid in King Arthur's Court). No release dates have been set for the films based on the second and third books in the series, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass.

Set in a parallel universe, The Golden Compass tells the story of Lyra, a young girl in search of a missing friend. The story involves daemons, a conspiracy, mercenary polar bears, good versus evil, and the compass of the title, which acts as Lyra's only guide on her journey.