Additional coverage from this afternoon’s Press Conference at Cannes:

Reuters UK- New children’s fantasy blockbuster nears release

NO DUMBING DOWN

Weitz said he would not be “dumbing down” the books for the sake of mass accessibility, and would limit the number of special effects sequences, which can become “pretty tedious”.

“There has to be simplification for a film,” Weitz said.

“Part of my job is to keep it complex. The storyline has to be very clear but at the same time I would be doing a disservice to the book if I didn’t have all kinds of complicated little things going on,”

“It’s easier to adapt a bad book than a good one.”

Read the full article here.

International Herald Tribune- Reporters get peek at vivid ‘Golden Compass’ at Cannes

The tale is a screen adaptation of British writer Philip Pullman’s novel, the first book in a trilogy called “His Dark Materials.” Craig says he’s a fan.

“Like with (J.R.R.) Tolkien, there’s something about them that’s beyond the fantasy,” Craig told a small group of reporters in Cannes on Monday. “It’s not just about witches and elves. It’s a story about true feelings.”

Director Chris Weitz, known for work on comedies including “American Pie,” discovered Pullman’s trilogy while co-directing “About a Boy” with his brother Paul. He says he was stunned by the books’ imagination and heart, and he hopes to make two follow-ups if all goes well.

“There’s a very simple through line to a very complex story — there’s this child who has a very strong sense of … justice and injustice,” he said. “Because a lot of things she does are selfish or self-motivated, she’s not a perfect child, but she does what she thinks is right at the time.”

Read the full article here.