The Golden Compass Brings New Line Cinema and the World Wildlife Fund Together to Educate the Public About Global Warming

In the new fantasy adventure film The Golden Compass, polar bears protect themselves with suits of armor. In the real world, threats to polar bears are not so easily abated. This majestic species is one of many in danger of extinction due to harsh changes in climate, which is why New Line Cinema has launched a unique partnership today with the World Wildlife Fund to help educate the public about the impact global warming is having on animals throughout the world.

“Connecting WWF’s real work to combat global climate change to the fantasy world portrayed in ’The Golden Compass’ is a natural fit,” said John Donoghue, senior vice president of World Wildlife Fund. “We hope the excitement generated by The Golden Compass will draw attention to real issues impacting our planet and encourage people around the world to take action to protect and conserve nature.”

“Polar bears are an iconic image in our film, and this is a very organic partnership for us,” says Chris Carlisle, New Line’s President of Domestic Marketing. “It adds an important layer to our campaign and we’re thrilled to work with the World Wildlife Fund and support the work they do.”

Through the partnership, visitors will be able to log on to a special web site at www.worldwildlife.org/goldencompass (site launches November 1st) where they can view a panoramic lineup of the animal spirits or “daemons” featured in the film, many of which are the same species that WWF works to protect in the real world. Fans of the film can also show their support for WWF and its message of species protection by “adopting” a real-life animal whose species is featured in the film – including polar bears, snow leopards, and monkeys through the site.

The partnership will also include a public service announcement about global warming that will be voiced by actors in the film and a sweepstakes featuring a grand prize trip for four to Manitoba, Canada, to view polar bears in their natural habitat.

Based on author Philip Pullman’s bestselling novel, The Golden Compass tells the first story in the His Dark Materials trilogy. An exciting fantasy adventure, the film is set in an alternative world populated by talking bears who fight wars, witches, Gyptians, and daemons. In the world of The Golden Compass, a person’s soul lives on the outside of their body in the form of a daemon, an animal spirit that accompanies them through life. At the center of the story is Lyra (played by newcomer Dakota Blue Richards), a 12-year-old girl who starts out trying to rescue a friend – and winds up on an epic quest to save not only her world, but ours as well. The Golden Compass stars an ensemble cast that includes Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Sam Elliott (Ghost Rider), Eva Green (Casino Royale) and the voices of Ian McKellen (The Lord of the Rings), Ian McShane (Deadwood), Freddie Highmore (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory), Kathy Bates (Charlotte’s Web), and Kristin Scott Thomas (Gosford Park). The film is written and directed by Chris Weitz (About A Boy, Antz) and produced by Deborah Forte and Bill Carraro. The Golden Compass is scheduled for a Dec. 7, 2007 release.