The red-carpet premiere of Oscar-winner Peter Jackson’s (Lord of the Rings) The Lovely Bones was held Wednesday night at the Paris theater in New York . The film, which marks Jackson’s return to directing since 2005’s King Kong, opens in limited release on Dec. 11 in New York and Los Angeles, before going nationwide on Jan. 15.

The Lovely Saoirse Ronan

The supernatural-drama tells the heartbreaking tale of Susie Salmon, a 14-year-old girl who is raped and murdered by a neighborhood man. Her grief-stricken father, played by Mark Wahlberg, desperately sets out to help find his daughter’s killer, all the while being guided by Susie’s spirit.

Bat man

Judging from the following clip, this could be Wahlberg’s best dramatic role since Boogie Nights. Check it out:

Susan Sarandon officially makes her transition from MILF to GILF in the film as Susie’s hard-boiled, whiskey-swigging nana.  Take a look:

The Lovely Bones costars 15-year-old actress Saoirse Ronan as rape/murder victim Susie Salmon, Rachel Weisz as her mother, Michael Imperioli as Det. Fenerman and Stanley Tucci as Susie’s killer, Mr. Harvey.To see more clips and the film’s trailer, click here.

And, don’t forget to check out the following gallery:

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