Alice Sebold

This is pretty shocking: Ryan Gosling has suddenly dropped out of Peter Jackson's film adaptation of The Lovely Bones, in which he was supposed to play Susie's father. Mark Wahlberg stepped in to fill the role on Sunday after reading the script, and the film is still scheduled to start shooting today in Pennsylvania.

I was pretty excited when I heard Gosling had been cast in the film, and he certainly seemed committed to the role, recently gaining weight and growing a beard. Variety said only that "creative differences" caused Gosling to leave on Friday.

I'm a fan of Wahlberg — I thought his performance in The Departed last year totally made the movie, and I've been excited for his upcoming starring roles in The Happening and The Fighter. But I certainly wasn't expecting this. Can you see Wahlberg in this role? And does Gosling's exit make you worried about The Lovely Bones?

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I was trying to take a break from writing about Peter Jackson's screen adaptation of The Lovely Bones, but the cast just keeps expanding. In fact, I think we can officially start calling it "star-studded" now.

The latest news is that Michael Imperioli of "The Sopranos" has signed on to the movie. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Imperioli — who got five Emmy nominations, including one this year, during his time on "The Sopranos" — will play Detective Len Fenerman.

Susan Sarandon also has joined the cast since last I wrote, playing the character of the grandmother who moves in with the family after Susie's death. I know casting isn't all about looks, but I really can picture Rachel Weisz as her daughter.

While the pre-review of the screenplay still makes me wary, I have to say I like the way the cast is coming together. What do you think?

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Yes, I know I've been paying a tremendous amount of attention to any and all news regarding Peter Jackson's adaptation of The Lovely Bones, but as far as book-to-movie projects go, this one is pretty important to me. So, here's the latest in the long string of casting news: Stanley Tucci is in negotiations to play killer George Harvey in the movie, says Hollywood Reporter.

When I was reading the book, I envisioned someone a little more decrepit, someone much closer to Jackie Earle Haley (who played creepy pedophile Ronnie McGorvey in Little Children). However, Tucci often has a commanding and intimidating presence onscreen (he played Nigel in The Devil Wears Prada, among others), and I can easily see him being super scary. What do you think about this latest bit of Lovely Bones news?

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Wow!
The cast for Peter Jackson's film version of The Lovely Bones is shaping up beautifully: Ryan Gosling has just been added to the cast, joining the recently added Rachel Weisz.

Variety says:
"Based on Alice Sebold's novel, storyline revolves around a young girl who has been murdered and watches over her family — and killer — from heaven. Girl must weigh her desire for vengeance against her desire for her family to heal. Gosling will play the girl's father; Weisz plays the mother."

Wow!
Peter Jackson, Rachel Weisz and now Ryan Gosling? Sure, Gosling seems a little on the young side (ahem, 26) to have a 14-year-old daughter, but that's forgivable. I am anxiously waiting to find out who they cast as Susie. Who could do that role justice?


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Last week I brought you the news that Peter Jackson has written a screenplay adaptation of Alice Sebold's novel The Lovely Bones, a story told from the viewpoint of a 14-year-old girl who was raped and murdered. All Jackson neeeded was a studio to give him the money — and a lot of it. Variety claims the budget for Bones could run close to $90 million. Well, Jackson got someone to bite: DreamWorks.

So what will $90 million get you? New York Magazine has already reviewed Jackson's screenplay and the verdict is not great. Noting Jackson's successful fantasy-drama Heavenly Creatures, the New York Magazine writer figured The Lovely Bones would be equally promising. Not so, apparently.

Jackson doesn't get into Susie's head the way he did Pauline and Juliet's, and the incursion of the supernatural into everyday life feels showy rather than integral. The fantasy scenes in Heavenly Creatures were momentous, despite the shakiness of the special effects; though it's certain that the effects in The Lovely Bones will be brilliant, the scenes in Heaven, and Susie's interaction with Earth, don't have much magic on the page.

It certainly seems premature to dis on a movie that has a long way to go before it's a presentable film ready for critique, though I can't deny this article makes me slightly nervous for The Lovely Bones.

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In the most intriguing movie news of the day, Peter Jackson has co-written a screenplay adaptation of Alice Sebold's heart-wrenching novel The Lovely Bones and is looking for a studio to back the project. The mastermind behind the Lord of the Rings trilogy and the latest King Kong remake has long had The Lovely Bones in mind, according to Variety:

Jackson scooped up the film rights to "Bones" from FilmFour in 2004. (FilmFour is still a partner on the project.) Since then, the filmmaker has insisted that "Bones" would be his next directing project after "King Kong."

It seems like a huge leap to go from such grandiose fantastical box office sweepers like LOTR series to a quiet family drama about the rape and murder of a 14-year-old girl. The story has clearly struck a chord in him which makes me intensely curious to see what Jackson will do with this. I think it actually might turn out to be great.

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