‘The Golden Compass’ is a non-fiction film based on Philip Pullman’s 1995 novel, also known as ‘Northern Lights.’ This book is the first part of the author’s trilogy ‘His Dark Materials. The film is set on another planet, where part of everyone’s inner spirit is outside their bodies in the form of an animal called a dæmon. Lyra Belacqua (Dakota Blue Richards) is an orphan living at Jordan College. Her uncle Lord Asriel (Daniel Craig), is often absent from her life, researching dust, and cosmic particles that Magisterium does not like to mention.
Lyra meets Mrs. Coulter (Nicole Kidman), a proud college friend, and asks the girl to stay with him in London. Before she leaves, the College Administrator (Jack Shepherd) hands him an Asriel alethiometer, a compass-like device that has been banned by Magisterium. The Golden Compass is a visual gift, with beautiful backgrounds that attract viewers. As expected, many wonders where the film was shot.
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Where Was The Golden Compass Movie Filmed?
‘The Golden Compass’ was filmed all over England, including Oxford, Surrey, Westminster, and London. Several scenes were shot in Kanton Bern in Switzerland, Budapest in Hungary, and in Norway. Toronto, Ontario, was also used to make film scenes.
The main photography began on September 4, 2006, and ended in January 2007.
Oxford
A large part of ‘The Golden Compass’ is set up at Oxford Colleges, so naturally, a team of producers decided to record scenes in Oxford. Several scenes were shot at Christ Church College in Saint Aldate’s, as well as Christ Church Meadow on the banks of the River Thames. Other colleges featured in the adventure film include Exeter College on Turl Street, Worcester College on Walton Street, and The Queen’s College on High Street.
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Bodleian Library, Broad Street, one of Oxford’s most prominent libraries, was used to photograph the star performer Daniel Craig. Duke Humfrey Library is the oldest classroom and can be seen in a movie. The scenes set up at Jordan College are housed in The Divinity School.
The characters are also portrayed in the streets near the fairy college using Radcliffe Square and Brasenose Lane. Other Oxford exhibits used in the movie include the Pitt-Rivers Museum on Parks Road and the Randolph Hotel on Beaumont Street.
Surrey
The Surrey region has served as a leading production center for ‘The Golden Compass.’ A few film scenes have been filmed at Shepperton Studios, a film studio on Studios Road, Shepperton.
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In addition, Bourne Woods is a forest south of the city of Farnham that was used as one in the back of Chris Weitz’s guide. Other films filmed in Surrey include ‘Strange Doctor of All Kinds of Madness and ‘Batman.’
London
London, the capital of the United Kingdom, was used to record the scenes of ‘The Golden Compass.’ One of the most prominent production venues was Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich. The King James Court Painted Hall can also be seen in the film.
Another place from Greenwich that was used as the background for the adventure movie is Crowley’s Wharf on the banks of the River Thames. Scenes showing Mrs. Coulter’s car on the street were shot at Chester Terrace in Regent’s Park. The Chiswick House, in Chiswick, was also used in the production of fictional films.
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Several other locations in England can be seen at ‘The Golden Compass.’ The historic Hotel Park Lane, AKA Sheraton Grand London Park Lane, Piccadilly in Mayfair, Westminster, was used for star actress Nicole Kidman. The art gallery was used to film scenes set in a restaurant and a beauty salon.
The Cross Keys Bridge in Spalding is a winding bridge between Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire used as a backyard. The interior of Hedsor House & Park, Taplow, Buckinghamshire, can also be seen in the movie. The scenes in Trollesund’s legendary harbor were shot at The Historic Dockyard Chatham in Chatham, Kent.
Canton Bern
The beautiful Swiss region of Berne was used as a backdrop for the ‘Gold Campus.’ A series of actions were made through the lens of the town of Grindelwald. The beautiful region provided a wonderful atmosphere in the squares and magnified the supernatural element.
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Grindelwald has been used to make scenes for other films such as ‘Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith’ and ‘The Secret Service of His Majesty.’
Toronto
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A team of filmmakers with the lens of ‘The Golden Compass’ in Toronto, Ontario. In particular, the filming took place at Brookfield Place, formerly known as BCE Place, at 181 Bay Street. Other films included in the lens in this complex include ‘Tommy Boy’ and ‘Dracula 2000.’
Norway
Several episodes of ‘The Golden Compass’ were organized in Norway. The bustling city of Bergen in Hordaland on the west coast of Norway was used for filming. Meanwhile, in the cold part of Norway’s archipelago, Svalbard was used to capture scenes in the interior of the imaginary world taken from a dream film.
Budapest
The filming of the film ‘Golden Compass’ took place in the Hungarian capital, Budapest. The historic city has a few buildings with beautiful architecture that give the necessary retro feel to a fictional film.
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Budapest has become a popular recording studio over the years, as well as the TV series ‘Moon Knight’ and the film ‘Unbearable Weight of Talent.’
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