The Lovely Bones

[Galactus]

In an interview with the official LOTR fan magazine, Peter Jackson and Philippa Boyens confirmed that their next project after "King Kong" is "The Lovely Bones" according to AICN.

This much smaller character driven story based on the Alice Sebold book, is narrated by the spirit of a young girl who was raped and murdered as she watches her family and friends deal with her death. She also watches her murderer and follows the events in his life.

About still working with Jackson post-LOTR, Boyens said "We feel comfortable with each other. I am sure there will be other projects we do separately, but at the moment, as long as it works, we'll keep doing it".

[The Amazing Lee]

It looks like Jackson is following his earlier roots with the film after King Kong.

I'm guessing it'd be more like his serious films rather than Like Bad Taste, and Braindead (Dead Alive)

[green]

Definately sounds like they are going back down the Heavenly Creatures route. I loved that movie, not his typical fair but definately a great movie. The Lovely Bones is a great book, its a very interesting read and will be quite difficult to adapt but then who could ever have imagined adapting LOTR. The only problem I have with this is
WHERES "THE HOBBIT" DAMMIT!!!!!!!!

[The Amazing Lee]

It will happen in due time. He spent nearly a decade on Lord of the rings. (I think)

Pre-production, production, post-production, screenings etc.

I think it's safe to say he wants to do some other productions as well.

King Kong is pretty big in itself and I don't doubt Peter Jackson for a second but he has a lot of hype to live up to for King Kong as well.

He did with LOTR though so I have faith

[Timstuff]

It'll be different seeing him do a very small scale movie without lots of special effects after seein him do Lord of the Rings and King Kong. I sure hope that he still gets around to doing The Hobbit before Ian McKellen and Christopher Lee croak. I have a gut feeling that it will end up getting farmed out to one of Jackson's second unit directors, but I really hope he does it himself. He was the one who made us see Middle Earth in a way that was never before possible, and I'd love to see him come back for one more round of Tolkien. I'm sure it'll be great even if he only produces it, but I really hope that he directs it.

[WarBlade]

Originally Posted by Timstuff

I sure hope that he still gets around to doing Lord of the Rings before Ian McKellen and Christopher Lee croak.

He did. All three movies.

[Timstuff]

Dang, stupid Dislexia! I fixed it now.

[WarBlade]

You can fix it again now, because Saruman isn't in The Hobbit.

[hippie_hunter]

If New Line gets the rights for the Hobbit from Sony then I bet Jackson will push this movie aside and do the Hobbit instead

[Timstuff]

Originally Posted by WarBlade

You can fix it again now, because Saruman isn't in The Hobbit.

Yes, but I want to see him make a cameo in The Wizard Council scene!

[WarBlade]

The White Council? That's really sad.

In fact, given the way Radagast was trimmed from LOTR I'd say you'd be very much out of luck. Plus there's the small matter of the White Council barely even getting mentioned in the book in the first place.

[Timstuff]

Yeah, but I still think it would be cool if you actually got to see it in the movie.

[Galactus]

Peter Jackson and partner Fran Walsh have put up their own money to option film rights to the Alice Sebold novel The Lovely Bones in an unusual development plan that will exclude studio financing until the script is finished, says Variety.

Rights were acquired from FilmFour, the movie arm of British broadcaster Channel 4, which will still serve as Jackson and Walsh's partner in developing the project. The project will be next for Jackson after he completes Universal's King Kong.

Jackson, Walsh and Philippa Boyens will begin next January adapting the book as a spec script for a movie that likely won't be ready for release until fall 2007.

The trade adds that Jackson's manager Ken Kamins and FilmFour won't entertain distribution or financing possibilities until the script is done and the movie is budgeted, a process that should be complete around May 2006.

Here's how the book's publisher describes the story:

When we first meet 14-year-old Susie Salmon, she is already in heaven. This was before milk carton photos and public service announcements, she tells us; back in 1973, when Susie mysteriously disappeared, people still believed these things didn't happen.

In the sweet, untroubled voice of a precocious teenage girl, Susie relates the awful events of her death, and her own adjustment to the strange new place she finds herself. (It looks a lot like her school playground, with the good kind of swingset.)

With love, longing, and a growing understanding, Susie watches her family as they cope with their grief--her father embarks on a search for the killer, her sister undertakes a feat of amazing daring, her little brother builds a fort in her honor--and begin the difficult process of healing.

Heaven "is cleverly not described that well in the book, because Alice wanted your imagination to do the work and decide what Susie's heaven looks and feels like," Jackson said. "We will have to show something on film. It has to be somehow ethereal and emotional, but it can't be hokey."

[freelancer]

I just read the book and I'm really curious about Peter Jackson's personal touch to this story. IMdb doesn't have much information yet, does anybody know anything about this project?

P.S: I felt the need to bring this thread back

[batman44]

The Lovely Bones huh? I'm reading that in my English 1302 class now, pretty good so far.

[Galactus]

"Lovely Bones" Don't Come Cheap
By Garth Franklin
Thursday May 3rd 2007 12:39am
Director Peter Jackson's planned adaptation of the Alice Sebold novel"The Lovely Bones" is being shopped around to studios this week, with at least four studios vying to snap it up.

It seems a slam dunk in some ways - the script is done, an October 29th start of shooting date guaranteed, a locked picture for late 2008 release, and the involvement of much of the same behind-the-scenes crew involved in "The Lord of the Rings" and "King Kong."

Yet there's several catches. The subject matter is almost arthouse fare in nature; the budget sits at around a hefty $65 million and could reach up to $90 million for the total deal; and whatever deal in place comes with hefty promotional commitments and supervision by Jackson on how the studio should market it.

With a potential guild strike being talked about, studios are more than ever in demand of choice scripts requiring few, if any re-writes. Thus DreamWorks, Warner Bros., Sony and Universal are all said to be in contention for the project at present.

[OverMyHead]

Originally Posted by batman44

The Lovely Bones huh? I'm reading that in my English 1302 class now, pretty good so far.

Ahh, wait a little longer, and watch it turn to utter crap.

Why is this piece of crap book even being made into a film? There is no f**king point, no f**king message.

[Galactus]

DreamWorks Acquires Peter Jackson's Lovely Bones
Source: DreamWorks Studios May 4, 2007


DreamWorks Studios in association with Film 4 has acquired The Lovely Bones, Peter Jackson's adaptation of the Alice Sebold best-selling novel, it was announced today by Stacey Snider, CEO and Co-Chairman of the Studio.

Peter Jackson will direct the film from a screenplay he co-wrote with Philippa Boyens and Fran Walsh. Carolynne Cunningham, Jackson, Walsh, and Aimee Peyronnet will serve as producers. Executive producing will be Film 4's Tessa Ross, Ken Kamins and Jim Wilson.

The Lovely Bones has been one of the most sought-after properties in recent years. It tells the story of Susie Salmon, who is murdered, but continues to observe her family on Earth after her death. Although she is detached from the world she once knew, Susie witnesses the impact of her loss on her loved ones, whilst her killer skillfully covers his tracks and prepares to murder again. In a tone that is both emotionally truthful, and darkly humorous, Susie tries to balance her desire for vengeance against the love she feels for her family and her need to see them heal; and ultimately comes to understand that the concept of family can encompass both the living and the dead.

The picture is scheduled to begin filming in October in Pennsylvania and New Zealand, and will be distributed worldwide by Paramount.

The Lovely Bones was published in 2002 and was Alice Sebold's second novel. The book has sold over ten million copies worldwide and remained on the New York Times hardback bestseller list for over a year. In 2003, Sebold won the Book of the Year Award for Adult Fiction from the American Booksellers Association.

"We are thrilled that DreamWorks Studios has been able to acquire the film rights to this story that has captivated so many people," said Stacey Snider. "In the hands of Peter Jackson, we have a master of cinematic storytelling to bring it to the screen."

"When you read an emotionally magical story that cries out to be turned into a major motion picture, you hope its winding path can find its way to the door of your own company," said Steven Spielberg. "Peter Jackson has made this possible and I am so grateful to him, Fran and Film 4 for giving 'The Lovely Bones' a home at DreamWorks."

"Alice Sebold's story affects readers in deeply personal ways and the most important consideration for me was finding a studio partner who felt an equally strong connection with the book. Not just in sharing our emotional reaction to the story, but our desire to see it told in an original, adventurous way on screen," said Peter Jackson. "I eagerly look forward to the days and months ahead with Stacey, Steven, Adam Goodman and the team at Dreamworks."

"Film 4 have been nurturing this project for over five years," said Tessa Ross of Film 4. And now, to end up with Peter, Fran, Philippa and Dreamworks all together, is really as good as it gets. All of us at Film 4 are over the moon."

"All of us at DreamWorks join in welcoming Peter into our family of creative filmmakers," said Adam Goodman, DreamWorks' President of Production. "We look forward to working with him and giving him all the support that he and his team need and deserve."

Peter Jackson is one of the most successful filmmakers working today having directed, written, and produced the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy which combined have grossed almost $3 billion at the box office, been nominated for 30 Academy Awards, and won 17 Oscars including Best Picture for the third film, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Jackson personally took home Oscars for his direction and writing in "The Return of the King," as well as for Best Picture. In 2005, he directed, wrote and produced King Kong, for Universal. The film grossed over $500 million and won three Oscars.

Philippa Boyens and Fran Walsh are frequent co-writers and producers with Peter Jackson. They have previously collaborated on the scripts for all three "Lord of the Rings" films and King Kong, as well as serving as producers on each of those films. Boyens and Walsh, like Jackson, were also honored with Oscars for their writing on The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, with Walsh also winning for song writing and producing.

[Darth Elektra]

Rachel Weisz Set for The Lovely Bones

Rachel Weisz is set to star in The Lovely Bones, the Peter Jackson-directed adaptation of the Alice Sebold novel, reports Variety. DreamWorks begins production on the film in October, and Paramount Pictures will distribute worldwide.

Weisz will play the mother of a young girl who is abducted and is feared to have been murdered.

Jackson wrote the script with his "The Lord of the Rings" scripting partners Philippa Boyens and Fran Walsh.

Carolynne Cunningham, Jackson, Walsh and Aimee Peyronnet will produce, while Film 4's Tessa Ross will executive produce with Ken Kamins and Jim Wilson. The film will shoot in Pennsylvania and New Zealand.

http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=20979

[Hunter Rider]

Beat me to it

[Jack Rabbit]

Hmmm. I'm interested as to how this will turn out. I really enjoyed the book.

[Electrix]

I love Weisz

[Dark Donnie]

Gosling Set for Jackson's Lovely Bones
Source: Variety June 27, 2007


Ryan Gosling is set to star opposite Rachel Weisz in Peter Jackson's The Lovely Bones for DreamWorks, reports Variety.

Jackson (King Kong, "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy) will begin filming in October in Pennsylvania and New Zealand. The movie will be distributed worldwide by Paramount.

An adaptation of the Alice Sebold best-selling novel, the movie tells the story of Susie Salmon, who is murdered, but continues to observe her family on Earth after her death. Although she is detached from the world she once knew, Susie witnesses the impact of her loss on her loved ones, whilst her killer skillfully covers his tracks and prepares to murder again. In a tone that is both emotionally truthful, and darkly humorous, Susie tries to balance her desire for vengeance against the love she feels for her family and her need to see them heal; and ultimately comes to understand that the concept of family can encompass both the living and the dead.

Gosling will play the girl's father; Weisz plays the mother.

Producers of "Lovely Bones" are Jackson, Carolynne Cunningham, Philippa Boyens and Fran Walsh. Film 4's Tessa Ross, Ken Kamins and Jim Wilson are executive producing.

Great Cast shaping up

[Hunter Rider]

Gosling is an awesome young actor

[Dark Donnie]

Agreed.....anyone read the book?