LONDON, Aug. 10 (UPI) -- British director Anand Tucker will step into the director's chair for the first movie based on author Philip Pullman's "Dark Materials" trilogy.
Director Chris Weitz stepped down citing the technical challenges of bringing "The Golden Compass" to the big screen, but is staying on as scriptwriter.
New Line Cinema chose Tucker from a pool of more than 50 filmmakers, the BBC reported.
Tucker directed the Oscar-nominated "Hilary and Jackie" and produced "Girl with a Pearl Earring."
The movie has sparked controversy even in its earliest stages, the BBC said. Weitz's rewrite for the screen removes all religious references because New Line was concerned it would be shunned in the United States.
Tucker has been nominated for Bafta awards twice and won the British Independent Film Award for "Hilary and Jackie."
