LOS ANGELES, Jan. 21 (UPI) -- British newcomer Ben Barnes has been cast in the title role of "Prince Caspian," the second installment in "The Chronicles of Narnia" film franchise.
Barnes, 26, is a graduate of London's Kingston University.
In addition to "Prince Caspian," he has also signed on for a third film in the series, "The Voyage of the Dawn Treader."
"It still hasn't sunk in," Barnes told USA Today, noting the "Narnia" books were among his favorite childhood stories. "It's been a whirlwind."
Barnes said he was so intent on securing the role, he exaggerated a bit about how well he could ride a horse.
"I didn't lie," he told the newspaper. "I just exaggerated the truth. They said, 'Can you ride a horse?' I said, 'Yes.' I did not say I understood the intricacies of genuine horsemanship."
After taking some horseback-riding and sword-fighting lessons, he was good to go.
"I was able to swim horses through rivers and slalom through pillars. It was good fun," he recalled.
