Director Peter Jackson has finished The Lovely Bones script and is expected to start filming in Wellington, with an estimated budget of more than $80 million, late this year.
Jackson is fielding "multiple offers" from Hollywood studios to fund the film - but New Line Cinema is not in the mix after protracted legal action over profits from the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The Los Angeles Times reported yesterday that Jackson had sent out a script of The Lovely Bones to every big American studio except New Line.
A bidding war is expected between studios for the film, based on the best-selling novel by Alice Sebold. Jackson wrote the screenplay with partner Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens. A spokesman for Jackson said the filming locations were still under wraps, but the production would be based in Wellington.
DreamWorks reportedly wanted to buy the Bones screenplay, but was told the script was not yet sold and that the writers were "entertaining multiple offers". "We're hearing that the jaw-dropper amid all this chatter is the claim that Jackson's projected budget for the film is US$65 million (NZ$88.7 million), not counting Jackson's .
.. directing and producing fees," New York magazine said.
Jackson, who was recently named by Forbes magazine as the world's 21st most powerful celebrity, won the film rights to The Lovely Bones in 2004. It tells the story of 14-year-old Susie Salmon, who is raped and murdered. Her spirit lingers to keep watch over her family and her killer.
In November, Jackson announced that the making of a movie adaptation of the video game Halo had been shelved. But another Jackson film, a remake of the war movie The Dam Busters, is in pre-production and will also be made in Wellington later this year.
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