The film storyline revolves more firmly around Will but major features of the story are radically different. The major changes to the Stanton family, changing Tom, from the eldest child who sadly died, to the kidnapped twin, held by the Dark for about 13 years.Why was it necessary to change it from one country to the other? Why the change at all? Why has the Celtic mythology been excised and replaced with a more Christianity based Hollywood image of Good vs.Coopers concerns were proved to be valid. The director never read the books, just the screenplay, but has stated that Susan Cooper 'has mixed feelings about the movie'. The screenwriter John Hodge admits to never having read the books other than The Dark is Rising, stating, 'I haven't dipped into the other books at all.'

The cast and crew seemed to have differing levels of interest/knowledge of their character roles and the storyline. Among a myriad of other changes, his father has gone from being a jeweler to a physics professor with a history of researching the light and the dark - another change which totally goes against the storyline as the fact he was a jeweler is an important part in the early stages of The Dark Is Rising. The main character Will Stanton has also been turned into a 13 (soon to be 14) year-old instead of the innocent 11-year-old. Those who have read the books are also extremely concerned that the screenwriter has taken out all reference to King Arthur - the integral part of the whole series. While the original story clearly is about British characters in Britain, the film has the Stanton family as Americans living in Britain. With the Dark once again rising, the future of the world rests in Will's hands. Traveling back and forth through time, Will discovers a series of clues which lead him into a showdown with forces of unimaginable power. The film tells the story of Will Stanton, a young man who learns he is the last of a group of warriors who have dedicated their lives to fighting the forces of the Dark. The Dark is Rising is the first film adaptation of Susan Cooper's acclaimed The Dark Is Rising Sequence. 4 Controversy/Differences from the book.

The dark is rising cooper