A 12-year-old unknown British schoolgirl is destined for Hollywood stardom after being chosen for the lead role in the movie version of the Philip Pullman trilogy, His Dark Materials.
Dakota Blue Richards has been cast as the daring Lyra Belacqua after being selected from more than 10,000 girls who auditioned.
The Golden Compass, the £82 million ($248 million) first movie from Pullman's trilogy, is set for release in November next year.
Richards was chosen from the Cambridge auditions and after dazzling the film's producers in a subsequent screen test.
When casting agents began their search, they said they were looking for a youngster who was not "immersed in the 21st century".
Author Pullman, whose books have sold more than 10 million copies worldwide, said the young star was just the match for his creation.
He said: "I'm delighted with the casting of Dakota Blue Richards as Lyra. As soon as I saw Dakota's screen test, I realised that the search was over."
Nicole Kidman has been tipped to play the role of the evil Mrs Coulter.
'Dark Materials' gives girl a golden opportunity
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