Judging by the huge success of his other work, it was a safe bet that adapting Philip Pullman's Northern Lights novel for the big screen was going to prove a massive hit.
And so it has.
But the success of The Golden Compass is not solely the preserve of the Cumnor author.
Oxfordshire can be duly proud of the part it has played in bringing this enchanting story to life.
And now the picture has won an Oscar for best visual special effects, courtesy of a man born and raised in Eynsham.
Ben Morris, who dreamed of creating animated characters while at the village's Bartholomew School, was the driving force behind many of the movie's digital special special effects - notably giant polar bear Lorek Scenes for the film were shot in Oxford using camera systems made by Botley-based Oxford Metric Group, which is run by his father Julian.
It's a long way from Eynsham to Hollywood, but the success of The Golden Compass since its launch in December last year has blazed a trail across the globe.
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