New Line Cinema has a big budget extravaganza arriving on December 7th, and the first two clips from the movie have just been released. If you’re not familiar with the story, “The Golden Compass” is the first story in the "His Dark Materials" trilogy. It’s a fantasy adventure, set in an alternative world where people's souls manifest themselves as animals, talking bears fight wars, and Gyptians and witches co-exist. 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 who's been kidnapped by a mysterious organization known as the Gobblers - and winds up on an epic quest to save not only her world, but ours as well. The Golden Compass stars Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig and Sam Elliott, and features the voices of Ian McKellen, Ian McShane and Kathy Bates. The film is written and directed by Chris Weitz ("About A Boy").