https://www.cnet.com/news/his-dark-materials-fantasy-tv-series-release-date-cast-plot-bbc-hbo/ > Our Alethiometer readings are looking good so far, with James McAvoy and Logan's X23 (Dafne Keen) slated to play the silver-tongued Lyra. Don't know what on earth His Dark Materials refers to? This guide is for you and for those of us looking forward to visiting a parallel Oxford once more. > His Dark Materials sounds complicated and, well, it is. Pullman took the title for his book trilogy from a poem by John Milton -- another work with big themes about religious deities -- but let's not go too far down that rabbit hole, with the basic plot of the first novel Northern Lights following Lyra as she attempts to save her best friend Roger from the Gobblers, nefarious people stealing children and bringing them to an icy fate.