Children's author Pullman signs up with 'Lord of the Rings' team

The author Philip Pullman has signed a deal with the producers of The Lord of the Rings movies to translate his award-winning children's fantasy trilogy into film.

New Line has secured the rights to the His Dark Materials saga, a complex story of magic, theology and science, where previous bids have failed. Directors including Sydney Pollack, who successfully adapted Out of Africa from print, and Anthony Minghella, who put Michael Ondaatje's novel The English Patient on screen, were understood to have held talks about filming Pullman's books.

Interest was heightened when The Amber Spyglass, the last in the trilogy, was the first children's title to win the prestigious Whitbread book prize.

The film deal was clinched after Pullman and his publisher, Scholastic, were impressed by the way New Line captured the drama of J R R Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings.

A spokesman for his agent, A P Watt, said: "He's incredibly pleased and very excited. Philip's main concern about all of this is that his books when they are adapted for screen are done with integrity." Interest in fantasy has soared, not least among film producers who have been impressed that The Fellowship of the Ring, the first part of The Lord of the Rings, is already approaching a $700m international gross.

The film was further commended yesterday when it split the honours with the film Moulin Rouge in the annual awards voted for by readers of Empire magazine.

The Fellowship of the Ring was named best film at the awards ceremony at the Dorchester hotel in London, and 21-year-old Elijah Wood, who plays the young Frodo Baggins in the saga, best actor. Orlando Bloom, the 25-year-old British actor who played the elf Legolas, is honoured for best debut.

The best director award was won by Baz Luhrman for Moulin Rouge, with Nicole Kidman winning best actress for the film, and her co-star Ewan McGregor best British actor.