Dafne Keen as Lyra Belacqua in His Dark Materials, BBC

That's right: Philip Pullman's transformative fantasy trilogy His Dark Materials is coming to the BBC. After a disappointing film adaptation in 2007 starring Daniel Craig and Nicole Kidman, this series looks like a more faithful, more detailed, and more spellbinding experience.

Winter has come and gone for Game of Thrones, now the Gobblers are on their way. Here's everything we know so far.

This series looks like a more faithful, more detailed, and more spell-binding experience

What's the story of His Dark Materials?

The series will travel through all three His Dark Materials books (Northern Lights, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass), a coming-of-age odyssey following the 12-year-old Lyra Belacqua, who grows up in a parallel version of Oxford.

Her uncle, Lord Asriel, is a researcher into parallel universes, specialising in the enigmatic substance known as 'Dust'. He leaves Oxford for Svalbard, investigating an entrance to another universe via the Northern Lights, leaving Lyra on her own. Well, she's never alone really – she has her daemon, a mythical creature bound to her for life.

In Philip Pullman's world, it's daemon-eat-daemon

Unfortunately, a gang of kidnappers known as 'Gobblers' are stealing kids for a dubious purpose, and the deceptive Mrs Coulter has something to do with it. Also, there are witches. And armoured polar bears. And massive hot-air balloons. Why wouldn't you watch it?

The series is adapted by The Virtues co-writer Jack Thorne, with Tom Hooper (The King's Speech, The Danish Girl, Cats) directing the first two episodes.

Who's in the cast for His Dark Materials

Dafne Keen plays Lyra. An excellent choice, though far different from her breakthrough character in Logan, who was quite insular (which Lyra most certainly is not). Still, we trust Keen can deliver.

James McAvoy as Lyra's uncle, Lord Asriel

The adventurous shoes of Lord Asriel are filled by James McAvoy (Glass), while Ruth Wilson (Luther, Mrs Wilson) wears the beautiful coats of Mrs Coulter.

Ruth Wilson plays the devious Mrs Coulter

Also starring are Lin Manuel-Miranda (Hamilton) as the aëronaut Lee Scorseby and Anne Marie-Duff (On Chesil Beach) as the witch queen Serafina Pekkala.