Ryan Gosling set for 'Lovely Bones'

Actor joins Weisz in Jackson adaptation

By MICHAEL FLEMING, PAMELA MCCLINTOCK, PAMELA MCCLINTOCK

Ryan Gosling is set to star opposite Rachel Weisz in Peter Jackson's feature adaptation of Alice Sebold's bestselling novel "The Lovely Bones" for DreamWorks.

Jackson will begin lensing in October in Pennsylvania and New Zealand. Film will be distributed worldwide by Paramount.

Story revolves around a young girl who has been murdered and watches over her family -- and her 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 the mother.

Gosling, who garnered an Oscar nom for his performance in indie pic "Half Nelson," will next be in theaters with "Lars and the Real Girl," which bows this fall. His other credits include "Fracture," "Stay" and "The Believer."

Producers of "Lovely Bones" are Jackson, Carolynne Cunningham, Aimee Peyronnet and Fran Walsh. Film 4's Tessa Ross, Ken Kamins and Jim Wilson are exec producing. DreamWorks secured the film rights to Sebold's book in association with Film 4.

Jackson, who developed the project before shopping to studios, penned the adapted screenplay with Boyens and Walsh. Trio are frequent collaborators, having co-written and produced the three "Lord of the Rings" films and "King Kong" together.

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