All you need to know about His Dark Materials star Dafne Keen (2024)

A new adaptation of hit fantasy trilogy His Dark Materials kicked off on Sunday night on BBC One.

Although Hollywood’s initial stab at the iconic Sir Philip Pullman novels didn’t quite make an impact (sorry Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig), the new BBC version of His Dark Materials mini-series in which British-Spanish actress Dafne Keen will star as protagonist Lyra Belacqua has received a positive response from critics and viewers.

At San Diego Comic Con, a full length trailer for the series was released and provided a first look at Lyra’s fantastical universe. Some believe the series set to fill a Game of Thrones-shaped hole in fantasy lovers’ hearts, especially as it’s being produced in conjunction with HBO - the same network behind GoT.

Based on previous performances the show's star Dafne Keen is tipped to have a promising career. You might recognise her from her award-winning role in Logan, where she deftly tugged at heartstrings, appearing alongside Hugh Jackman as Wolverine.

Speaking to British Vogue, Keen - who comes from an acting family - revealed that her parents "knew I was going to be an actress before I did" and cited Olivia Colman, Jennifer Lawrence and Meryl Streep as her acting idols. In a recent trailer for the Philip Pullman series, Keen holds her own against major acting talents including James McAvoy, Mrs Wilson's Ruth Wilson and Hamilton creator Lin Manuel Miranda. It follows an earlier teaser trailer released by the BBC released in May.

A release date for His Dark Materials has yet to be set, however HBO revealed that it would premiere in autumn later this year.

She told British Vogue that she actually wasn't sure if she was going to get the part, as she revealed, "I showed up to the audition only having read half the book. I thought, ‘I’m not going to get it anyway.’"

The show is set to launch this Sunday and we’ve got you covered with everything you need to know about Dafne Keen ahead of the premiere.

Dafne Keen is a British-Spanish actress, best known for her work in Logan as Wolverine’s miniature counterpart, Laura. The young actress is the daughter of British actor Will Keen, who will be starring alongside her in the BBC adaptation but is also known for his roles in The Crown and Wolf Hall. Her mother is Spanish actress Maria Fernandez Ache, who has also been listed as an acting coach for His Dark Materials.

This is the second time Dafne and her father have acted together. They first appeared in a Spanish series called Refugiados, with Dafne's role as Ani marking her first foray into the world of cinema and television. The series was cancelled after its first eight episode run, however.

Dafne was born on January 4, 2005 which makes her 14 years old.

Dafne wowed audiences as Laura Kinney, also known as X-23. Laura was Wolverine’s biological daughter, created using his DNA, and had similar powers to him, including his iconic claws and a strong healing factor. Although she and Wolverine got off to a rough start, by the end of the film they had become one of the most memorable superhero teams of all time - earning Hugh and Dafne an MTV Movie and TV award for Best Duo. Her performance also earned her an award for Best Female Newcomer at the Empire Awards.

Finding Dafne for the role was no easy task, however. In fact, Logan casting director Priscilla John auditioned over 500 kids before finally landing on Dafne.

Director James Mangold revealed at the time that he was all for a spin-off series centered around Laura.

“I think Dafne is incredible in the film and I would love to see another film about that character and that’s certainly something I’d be involved in,” he said.

His Dark Materials is an upcoming eight part television series produced by the BBC. Based on the iconic novel trilogy by Sir Philip Pullman of the same name, it’s a fantasy series that centres on a young girl called Lyra Belacqua. Set in an alternate universe, people are born with a daemon; a companion spirit that takes on an animal form.

The first BBC series focuses on the events of the very first book called Northern Lights, which is also known in the US as The Golden Compass. After children begin to disappear at the hands of a mysterious organisation called the Gobblers, Lyra and her daemon Pantalaimon decide to embark on a journey to find him and uncover a horrifying secret.

HBO’s official synopsis reads, “[His Dark Materials] follows Lyra, a seemingly ordinary but brave young woman from another world. Her search for a kidnapped friend uncovers a sinister plot involving stolen children, and becomes a quest to understand a mysterious phenomenon called Dust.”

“As she journeys through the worlds, including our own, Lyra meets Will, a determined and courageous boy. Together, they encounter extraordinary beings and dangerous secrets, with the fate of both the living - and the dead - in their hands.”

This is the latest in a string of adaptations of the series, which include a 2003 stage play and a 2007 feature film starring Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig and Dakota Blue Richards as Lyra. A teaser trailer was released in February, which suggests BBC’s His Dark Materials will be much darker in tone than its 2007 film counterpart.

It will premiere on Sunday at 8pm on BBC1, then from November 4 onwards it will be available on HBO.

Dafne Keen steps into Lyra Belacqua’s shoes, the young protagonist of the series. Screen Daily revealed in an interview with Keen that she had to undergo a two-year audition process and there were worries that she had “grown out of the part”. However, she explained that Lyra was eventually aged up in the BBC series.

She will be starring alongside James McAvoy, who is set to play her mysterious and adventuring uncle Lord Asriel, as well as Ruth Wilson who will play Mrs Coulter, a woman who eventually takes Lyra into her care in London.

Hamilton creator and performer Lin-Manuel Miranda will also be playing Texan balloonist Lee Scoresby, while Dafne’s father Will Keen is set to play a character named Father MacPhail.