Perry Moore, Chronicles of Narnia Producer, Found Dead at 39

Perry Moore, an author and the executive producer of The Chronicles of Narnia film franchise, has been found dead. He was 39.
Police discovered Moore Thursday morning in his New York City apartment, an NYPD spokesman tells TVGuide.com. A cause of death has not yet been determined, as Moore's body will undergo an autopsy, but New York's Daily News cites sources who say Moore died of an apparent overdose of OxyContin. His body was found by his partner, Hunter Hill, according to the paper.

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"We're in shock," his father, Bill Moore, told the Daily News, adding that they had spoken the night before. "He was in a great, great mood. No one was expecting this."Moore, who worked at production company Walden Media, spent years trying to secure the movie rights to the seven C.S. Lewis books in the Narnia series before getting the green light in 2001. Three films have been released, earning more than $1.5 billion at the box office. The franchise is the 16th highest-grossing film series of all time. Moore also co-wrote and co-directed the 2008 Sissy Spacek film Lake City with Hill.

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In addition to his film work, Moore earned raves for his first novel, Hero, about a gay teen superhero, which hit shelves in 2007. He had been working on a sequel as of 2009.His father said Moore had most recently been awaiting news on a new screenplay. "He was set to do some mighty good things," Bill Moore said. "Parents are not meant to bury their children."