Girls Roll Up For Dark Materials Role - 10,000 of Them!

Thousands of young girls auditioned this week for a chance to star in a new movie franchise that promises to be a dark rival to the Harry Potter films.

Philip Pullman's bestseller His Dark Materials trilogy is being adapted for the screen by New Line Cinema, which also made the Lord of the Rings films. The first instalment, The Golden Compass, follows a young protagonist named Lyra Belacqua who travels to the Arctic Circle to save a friend with the help of a bear and a witch.

Producers are scouring England to find an actress aged 9 to 13 who can embody her "loyalty, bravery and mischievous nature."

ROLL UP, ROLL UP

Pullman's books have been a hit with critics, adults and children alike, although some groups objected to their strong criticism of organized religion.In Oxford, where The Golden Compass begins, a serpentine queue began forming from the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Fiona Weir, who helped cast the Harry Potter movies, said she was looking for children "who aren't immersed in 21st century culture." But that didn't prevent some of the young hopefuls from playing with portable video games just to pass the time.

A spokesman for the production estimated 10,000 people turned up, including the aspiring actresses and their families. Thousands of other would be actors have already been seen at other casting sites.