First glimpse of Jackson's heaven
HEAVENLY CREATURE: Saoirse Ronan - as Susie Salmon in heaven - the first image from Peter Jackson's next film The Lovely Bones.
The world has got its first glimpse of heaven, or at least the version according to Kiwi movie director Peter Jackson.
Jackson's heaven has been revealed in the first official image from his next film, The Lovely Bones, due to be released in New Zealand on Boxing Day.
The photograph shows Irish actress Saoirse Ronan, who plays murdered 14-year-old Susie Salmon, standing among the clouds and looking toward a blaze of light.
In the film, based on a novel by Alice Sebold, Susie watches from heaven as events unfold after her rape and murder in rural Pennsylvania during the 1970s.
Jackson shot some of the NZ$104 million movie which also stars Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz and Susan Sarandon in Pennsylvania, as well as Wellington. Heaven was created and shot at his Miramar studios.
Jackson told USA Today he had stuck to Sebold's idea that Susie was caught between heaven and Earth.
"We certainly had no intention of using this movie to paint a definitive picture of what heaven is like, and who resides there," he said.
"She [Susie] is in an 'in-between', as Alice Sebold calls it. We wanted the world to be ruled by Susie's unconscious desires. Susie's 'in-between' begins as a powerful, beautiful and mysterious place it is familiar and strange, comforting and sad. A young 14-year-old girl's idea of 'heaven'.
"But as the film progresses, we see that this place Susie has created for herself has become some kind of prison."
Jackson said the film was different in some aspects to the novel, which has sold more than 10 million copies since it was published in 2002.
"We hope those who know and love the book will take delight in some of the twists and turns that we've made, while still feeling that we've stayed true to Susie and her story."
- © Fairfax NZ News
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@Hannah.....the only reason i even give my views on this, are to counter the amount of religious beliefs which are forced on me, as you put it. I would gladly keep my opinion to myself, if only the religious people would as well. I do not knock on there doors offering them copies of "The God Delusion", I do not force them to obey crazy laws about what you can and cant do on a Sunday. I do however get angry when they try to force there religious beliefs on my children. Children are impressionable, and should be allowed to make up there own minds when they are older, not have the church scare them to death with tales of hell, and the devil, or make out that only good people go to church. I live my life being good to others because I choose to. Not out of some fear that if I dont, i will end up in hell, or purgatory. Surely that makes me a better person than someone doing it for there own selfish afterlife reasons? Even Mother Teresa may have only been helping the poor for her own selfish " get a free pass into heaven " reasons!
@ Sam #9.
Haha you are spot on with that comment!
To Hannah #35
I don't see any 'athiests' like myself or 'bible bashers' here bagging the book. Neither are we listening to it because books don't talk, and we haven't see it yet because the movie isn't out!
Also I haven't noticed how sales have skyrocketed as you say because when churches complain, you've got no way of knowing what the sales were going to be like anyway, or are you suggesting that intelligent people go to the movies just because churches disagree about something?
It sounds to me like you think everyone except yourself is stupid! Nothing could be further from the truth!
To Hannah, I am an atheist and I love this book. Just because I don't believe in a Heaven doesn't mean we can't read or watch fiction ideas about it. Geez, stop stereotyping everyone into one category.
To #20 Danny of course it's not God in the library watching you, it's Angels in black trenchcoats who look like Nicholas Cage Don't you watch stupid movies late at night
First of all, I'm surprised at the fact that people are judging a whole move, pre release, based on one image.
Secondly, the book was very well written and I'm looking forward to seeing how Peter Jackson depicts it.
Thirdly, the bible bashers and athiests really do need to get off their high horses. Here's an idea....IF YOU DO'T LIKE IT DON'T WATCH IT/READ IT/LISTEN TO IT...Just leave it alone. Try respecting what other people think rather than forcing your beliefs upon them.
On yet another note...has anyone ever noticed how every time the "church" kicks up a stink about a book or movie, sales skyrocket? Perhaps "the church" should just leave the rest of the world to it (see previous point).
I'm not going to read the book.
LOL at Elliott.
I think the picture's pretty. Makes me want to eat marshmallows and hot chocolate...
Gosh, that image looks so utterly boring... You should check out What Dreams May Come. That's my favourite depiction of what heaven could be like.
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@Kathryn #37. I couldnt agree more....my rant in my previous message would not stop me enjoying the movie. In fact, even as an Atheist, I love the movie "Jesus of Nazereth", as well as "Life Of Brian", I can enjoy listening to "Silent Night", ......I just dont happen to believe its real of course.