This petition is for the C.S. Lewis Estate to reengage film studios in negotiations for the film rights to The Chronicles of Narnia stories.

The Chronicles of Narnia is a hugely successful series of books written by famed author and J.R.R. Tolkein contemporary, C.S. Lewis. Three of the books were turned into very successful movie adaptions, totaling over $1.5 Billion worldwide; The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe (Directed by Andrew Adamson and starring William Moseley as Peter, Anna Popplewell as Susan, Skandar Keynes as Edmund, and Georgie Henley as Lucy), Prince Caspian (with Ben Barnes as Caspian), and Voyage of the Dawn Treader (which introduced film star Will Poulter as Eustace). In 2013, a fourth movie, based on the next chronological book in the series, The Silver Chair, was officially announced to be produced by the Mark Gordon Company, but little to no news has been available since 2013, nearly ten years ago. I grew up on the books, and then the movies. They were my Harry Potter (having been slightly too young for the Rowling classics), and they, Star Wars, and Lord of the Rings fostered a deep love of the fantasy genre, as well as a lifelong love of movie-making. I've watched the Behind the Scenes footage of those films probably more then the movies themselves, and I cannot help but be saddened that Hollywood has seemingly turned it's back on the vibrant world of Narnia. Perhaps, however, now is the time to revisit it, explore new lands, and make something amazing!

There is a golden opportunity for another Narnia book to be made into a film, one which has major potential to satiate the current moviegoing audience's appetite for action, fantastic worlds, heartwarming moments, well-developed characters, and a fast paced, driven storyline. I am referring to Lewis' fifth book in the Narnia series, The Horse and His Boy.

The story fits chronologically before the end the Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, during the four children's reign as the Kings and Queens of Narnia after defeating the White Witch, taking place toward the end of this period, before Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy stumble back through the wardrobe and revert to their ordinary, adolescent lives in England. Horse and His Boy features a young boy, Shasta, who is living a horrible life with his abusive "father" in the arid kingdom of Calormen. He encounters a talking Horse named Bree when the steed's nobleman rider tries to buy the boy as a slave, and the two run away to find Bree's homeland of Narnia. Along the way they join forces with a quick-witted noble girl, Aravis, who is running away from a political marriage with her horse Hwin, also a talking animal. Along the way, Shasta is mistaken for the young prince of Archenland, Narnia's closest ally, by a visiting party of Narnians; King Edmund, his sister Queen Susan, and their advisors. While in their company, Shasta learns the Susan has been invited by the prince of Calormen, Rabadash, to become his wife, but since their visit she has learned that he is cruel and tyrannical, and the royal party intend to find a way to flee the city before Susan is forced to marry. After escaping their company, Shasta and Aravis learn of Rabadash's plot to follow them to Narnia and conquer it, intending to destroy Archenland along the way. The heroes make it their mission to get to Archenland first and warn the unsuspecting kingdoms of their impending fate.

 This potential film would fit perfectly into the trend of feel-good nostalgia flicks that has made recent movies like Top Gun: Maverick record-smashing hits. The Narnia books have sold over 100 Million copies since 1950, and I and millions of others grew up reading them and listening to the audio dramas made by Focus on the Family Radio Theatre, not to mention watching the film adaptations, which are now over fifteen years old. It stars a diverse cast of human and animal characters ranging from deserts and mountains to lush, European-esque Narnian landscapes. It has a small main cast of two teenage heroes and their two talking horses, backed up by supporting characters both old and new, as well as thrillingly evil villains.

With the right director and cinematographer, this movie could have some of the most stunning shots in recent years, showcasing not only the familiar world of Narnia, but also the neighboring countries of Archenland and Calormen. The production could provide jobs for thousands of people in multiple countries. The film would be ideal for fans of Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings with its classic fantasy tropes and a tense final battle in the heart of Archenland. The action is maintained throughout the entire story, as the main characters struggle and race to make it out of Calormen without being caught by their pursuers, but has time for slower moments to allow for character development.

Now we come to the main reason I think this movie should be made soon. The original actors of the four siblings, Moseley, Popplewell, Keynes, and Henley, are now all approximately the same age as their film characters would be at the time of this story. As such, I think it would be a massive wasted opportunity to not invite them back to reprise their roles once again, this time as the heroic Kings and Queens at the height of their reign. Queen Lucy even fights alongside her brother Edmund in the final battle, though some artistic license could potentially allow for all four siblings to be reunited onscreen to participate in the fisticuffs.

So there you have it. C.S. Lewis Estate, please reengage studios in negotiations to adapt the Narnia books into films, in particular, The Horse and His Boy. With hard work and the right team, it's a huge success waiting to happen.

Thank You.