HBO Joins BBC Drama Series ‘His Dark Materials’

HBO will co-produce the upcoming drama series “His Dark Materials.”

The news comes just a day after the BBC greenlit the second season, the first season of which is still in production. Based on Philip Pullman’s trilogy of young-adult fantasy novels — “The Golden Compass,” “The Subtle Knife,” “The Amber Spyglass” — the show is produced by Bad Wolf with New Line Cinema for the BBC and HBO, in association with BBC Studios Distribution and Anton Capital Entertainment. It is currently in production at Bad Wolf’s studios in Cardiff, Wales. Like the first season, the second season will consist of eight episodes.

Under the agreement, HBO will co-produce the two eight-episode seasons and takes worldwide distribution rights for it outside the U.K.

The ensemble cast for the series includes Dafne Keen, James McAvoy, Ruth Wilson, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Anne-Marie Duff, Clarke Peters, Ariyon Bakare, Will Keen, Ian Gelder, Georgina Campbell, Lewin Lloyd, Lucian Msamati, James Cosmo, Daniel Frogson, Tyler Howitt, Ruta Gedmintas, and Mat Fraser. Exec producers are Dan McCulloch, Jane Tranter and Julie Gardner for Bad Wolf; Deborah Forte, Toby Emmerich and Carolyn Blackwood for New Line Cinema; Ben Irving and Piers Wenger for BBC One; and by Pullman, Hooper and Thorne.

Deadline first reported HBO joining the project.

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