I've noticed that Beck tends to gravitate towards stories with strong female protagonists, not the least of which by far is Buffy, but also Elektra, Under the Tuscan Sun, Ice Princess, and others. I'm really looking forward to his work here.

KangarooSteve | April 24, 05:47 CET

Wow, this seems like a match made in heaven to me. Can't wait!

ladygrey | April 24, 09:27 CET

I'm having a hard time picturing Ian McShane as Merriman, but I'm hoping for the best. Great series of books.

Fence | April 24, 12:25 CET

Fence - me too! he is Lovejoy for me, and that is that. Although he is also Iorek Byrnison in the Northern Lights film, so who knows.

The Dark Is Rising sequence is one of my favourite book(s) ever - I'm really looking forward to seeing what they do with it and which books they do. I'm presuming they're not doing the first in the series (Dark is Rising is the second)? Also Christopher Eccleston is the Black Rider, which should be fantastic.

Mehitabel | April 24, 14:29 CET

I didn't read these books until I was probably in my 20's and babysitting a friend's kids - they had the books. I thoroughly enjoyed the entire series. I recommend them all the time. I've been wondering when they'd get around to filming them.

One of the things I like about them, is that the five books in the series don't all have the same main characters - with the exception of Merriman. Also, they really are more grounded in our reality. Yes there are the fantasy elements, but not as much as the others, and Cooper's weaving of the legends of Britain is lovely.

Mehitabel - Dark is Rising is the second.

Znachki | April 24, 19:55 CET

I havent read these in forever. They were some of my favorite books about a million years ago, ok, only like 20 or so..but still!
I really hope it turns out well.
*crosses fingers*

mifeng | April 24, 20:38 CET

I loved the books when I read them as a kid, but have to say I have little hope the film will work. Like with Narnia, I fear that things will have to be jazzed up with pyrotechnics and effects to make the book filmic enough to appeal to kids & their families, and that's just not jibing with the quiet spirit of Cooper's books.

But then, I've noticed: good books rarely translate to good movies, while sometimes mediocre books make great movies. It's weird, the alchemy.

dottikin | April 25, 10:58 CET

(Znachki: the question mark was meant for the main bit - I wonder if they'll do the first one too? I hope so.)

i hope thye do stay true to the spirit of the books, you're right about their quiet and almost peaceful air, dottikin.

I think this one could stand alone, but I would love to see the Grey King especially on screen.

Mehitabel | April 25, 13:10 CET