The adaptation of Phillip Pullman’s bestselling novel ‘The Golden Compass’ will be hitting the movie screens in December in the US, bringing to life a fantasy world where humans have permanent animal companions known as daemons and polar bears where armor – and these links with the animal world are the reasons why the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) has teamed up with New Line Cinema to bring attention to the plight of animals at risk from climate change.
Through the partnership, visitors will be able to log on to a special web site at worldwildlife.org/goldencompass where they can view a panoramic lineup of the animal spirits or “daemons” featured in the film, many of which are the same species that WWF works to protect in the real world. Fans of the film can also show their support for WWF and its message of species protection by “adopting” a real-life animal whose species is featured in the film – including polar bears, snow leopards, and monkeys.
“Connecting WWF’s real work to combat global climate change to the fantasy world portrayed in ‘The Golden Compass’ is a natural fit,” said John Donoghue, senior vice president of World Wildlife Fund. “We hope the excitement generated by ‘”The Golden Compass”‘ will draw attention to real issues impacting our planet and encourage people around the world to take action to protect and conserve nature.”
The partnership will also include a public service announcement about global warming that will be voiced by actors in the film and a sweepstakes featuring a grand prize trip for four to Manitoba, Canada, to view polar bears in their natural habitat.
The movie, which stars Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig and Ian McKellen amongst others, is scheduled for a Dec. 7, 2007 worldwide release.
