Dakota Blue Richards, the 13-year-old British actress who made her debut in the leading role of New Line's upcoming "The Golden Compass," has been cast as the central character in Gabor Csupo's "
The Secret of Moonacre."
Richards plays Maria, an orphan sent to live with her uncle in mysterious Moonacre Manor. There she enters a world of magical creatures, and discovers that she is the only person who can undo an ancient curse and save Moonacre Valley.