The Golden Compass' Popularity Surges in Weeks Leading up to the New Line Cinema...

The Golden Compass' Popularity Surges in Weeks Leading up to the New LineCinema Film's Dec. 7 Worldwide ReleaseBooks Climb USA Today's 'Top 50 Bestselling Books List' More Than 10 YearsAfter Publication; Close To 10 Million Visitors View Movie's Official Web Site

NEW YORK, Nov. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- More than ten years after its originalpublication, "The Golden Compass" (Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers, animprint of Random House Children's Books) has hit USA Today's Top 50 BestSellers list, having seen a 500% increase in sales over the last three months.The omnibus edition of Philip Pullman's complete "His Dark Materials" trilogy

-- of which "The Golden Compass" is the first novel -- has moved onto USA-- of which "The Golden Compass" is the first novel -- has moved onto USAToday's Top 50 list as well. "The Golden Compass" has sold over 3.5 millioncopies in the US to date, and the trilogy has sold over 7 million copies.

With the upcoming worldwide release of New Line Cinema's highlyanticipated feature film on December 7, the film's official web site

(http://www.goldencompassmovie.com) has received nearly 10 million uniquevisitors. Plus the movie website has an innovative "Daemon" feature that hasgarnered more than 20 million views. The film's trailers have been streamedover 10 million times online.

Late this summer, Pullman's "His Dark Materials" trilogy went back on the"Book Sense National Best Seller List" for "Children's Fiction Series," andhas since spent 19 consecutive weeks on that list, which is compiled fromhundreds of independent book stores across the US.

The film has received early critical acclaim in the United Kingdom with afour-star review from one of the country's leading national newspapers "TheGuardian" which calls it a "spectacular new movie ... It has no otherchallengers as this year's big Christmas movie."

Written and directed by Chris Weitz, "The Golden Compass" stars NicoleKidman and Daniel Craig.

CONTACT:

Robert Pini Judith Haut

New Line Cinema Random House

212-649-4934 212-782-8626SOURCE New Line CinemaRobert Pini of New Line Cinema, +1-212-649-4934; or Judith Haut of RandomHouse, +1-212-782-8626