His Dark Materials’ third and final season concluded in the same heartbreaking fashion of the book - and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. So what was it all about? Here’s the ending explained - and what we know about a potential sequel for Philip Pullman’s follow-up novel series, Book of Dust.
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After liberating the world of the dead from their prison and saving the multiverse, Lyra and Will find peace and discover - with some help from Mary Malone finally fulfilling her role "as the serpent", that they are in love with one another.
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The power of the realisation brings dust back into the worlds - but the couple is dealt a huge blow when it is revealed that Dust will eventually leave worlds if the windows into different worlds remain open. Since Will and Lyra are from different worlds - and can’t live in a different one for too long without their daemons dying - they have to be parted from each other forever.
© Photo: BBCWill and Lyra are parted forever
In their emotional parting, they agree that no matter what, they will both sit on a bench that exists in both worlds at the same time every year, and know that the other one is there too - so in a way they are together. The series ends with showing Lyra and Will keeping to their promise by sitting on the bench year after year, before revealing that they both went on to have full lives in their respective worlds.
However, the ending also hints at a future adventure for Lyra and her daemon Pantalaimon, alluding to the Book of Dust series. After the first novel, which is set before the events of His Dark Materials, the second novel joins Lyra aged 20, as she goes on a new venture. So will the Book of Dust be adapted for the silver screen?
La Belle Sauvage: The Book of Dust Volume One, £8.99, Amazon
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Speaking about the potential spin-off, Jane Tranter explained: "As Philip Pullman calls it, there is an 'equal' which is La Belle Sauvage and then there's a sequel, which is The Secret Commonwealth. And I have made absolutely no secret of the fact that I am really very keen to do The Book of Dust and Philip has already said that he would love us to do it. But he needs to finish the third book.
© Photo: BBCDafne could reprise her role as an adult version of Lyra
"We would love to do that, but you need to go out and ring the bell very loudly for that as well, so we can get the combined might of HBO and the BBC to say it's an absolute done deal. They are very keen on this third season and the overall benefit that His Dark Materials has given them – it has done very well for the BBC on iPlayer... and the same for HBO Max as well."
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Speaking about a potential adaptation, author Philip Pullman told The Times that it will be "a structural difficulty because the first part of the Book of Dust is set ten years before His Dark Materials, and then in the second we leap forward 20 years. So Lyra’s a baby in the first one and then in the second she’s about 20", but plans for an adaptation are in place.
On whether that means Dafne Keen will return is a grown-up version of Lyra, he added: "Well, it does, but she’s so good an actor that her schedule is probably booked for years."
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