His Dark Materials: trailer, pictures, release date, plot, cast

That's right: Philip Pullman's transformative fantasy trilogy His Dark Materials is being adapted for the BBC and HBO. After a disappointing film adaptation in 2007 starring Daniel Craig and Nicole Kidman, this series looks like a more faithful, more detailed, and more spell-binding 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 Lyra Belacqua, a 12-year-old girl growing up in a parallel version of Oxford.

Her uncle, Lord Asriel, is a researcher of 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. 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 is playing Lyra, an excellent choice - though her breakthrough character in Logan was quite insular, which Lyra most certainly is not. However, we trust Keen can deliver.

James McAvoy as Lyra's uncle, Lord Asriel

The adventurous shoes of Lord Asriel are being 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 is Lin Manuel-Miranda (Hamilton) as the aëronaut Lee Scorseby and Anne Marie-Duff (On Chesil Beach) as the witch queen Sarafina Pekkala.

Lin Manuel-Miranda as the aëronaut Lee Scorseby

When is the His Dark Materials release date?

No word on an exact date, but BBC and HBO promise that His Dark Materials will be out later this year.

Watch the new trailer below.