New James Bond Joins "The Golden Compass"

The new James Bond Daniel Craig certainly isn't using his newfound power to explore smaller roles or edgier material to balance out that franchise. Nope, he's just signed on for a trilogy of fantasy films called "His Dark Materials." The first is "The Golden Compass" which starts filming in a few months. Craig will play Lord Asriel, the father of the young heroine and his estranged wife is played by Nicole Kidman. It's a small but pivotal role in the books. And if you haven't caught on, I think the books by Philip Pullman are tremendously good -- the best work of fantasy in many, many years. They're quite scandalous too so don't give them to the kiddies (high school or mature middle schoolers are appropriate) but be prepared to discuss original sin, organized religion and sex. (The books are a spin on "Paradise Lost" and there is no explicit sex or language whatsoever, just heady ideas.)