Dakota Blue Richards (born 1994) is an English actress, who will play Lyra Belacqua in the upcoming film His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass. Ten thousand girls turned up for open auditions in Cambridge, Oxford, Exeter and Kendal for the role of Lyra Belacqua in the adaptation of 'His Dark Materials: Northen Lights'. In June 2006, twelve-year-old Dakota, a Londoner schoolgirl, was awarded the part after the casting directors' took a shine to her in the Cambridge auditions. 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated as the International Year of the Family and the International Year of the Sport and the Olympic Ideal by United Nations. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Government Constitutional monarchy - Queen Queen Elizabeth II - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP Unification - by Athelstan AD 927 Area - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK) 50,346 sq... Lyra Belacqua is the heroine of Philip Pullmans His Dark Materials trilogy. ... His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass, is a film based upon the first novel in Philip Pullmans trilogy His Dark Materials, slated for release in 2006 by New Line Cinema. ...