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The fall movie preview season is upon us, and with it has come some beautiful new photos from the upcoming drama The Lovely Bones, from director Peter Jackson. With his first film since 2005′s King Kong, Jackson is adapting the famous Alice Sebold novel about a girl who is brutally murdered, then must watch over her family and killer from heaven. It is a heartbreaking tale and a fantastic book, and from what we’ve seen of Jackson’s movie thus far, it could turn out to be a very fantastical experience. As evidence by the photos below, which have been released today by the folks at Paramount Pictures. Some feature new looks at Rachel Weisz, who plays the slain girl’s mother, and a look at the girl (Saoirse Ronan) in heaven looking out at a giant clock.

Also notable is an interview with Jackson in the upcoming issue of Entertainment Weekly. In their fall preview, he talks about the situation surrounding Ryan Gosling, who was originally slated to play the father. Despite his dedication to the part — gaining weight, growing a beard — Gosling just couldn’t look old enough to play the father alongside Rachel Weisz, and was ultimately replaced by Mark Wahlberg. This clears up the “creative differences” that were previously reported by various insider sources.

Jackson also commented on his choice to go after a project like The Lovely Bones, delivering a quote that once again solidifies the fact that he’s one of the best in the business — he just gets it:

“One of the enjoyments you get from making movies is always being outside your comfort zone — it’s the flirting with danger that’s most interesting. And I feel I was settling into a pattern with these blockbuster-y effects films. It was time to try something different.”

Check out the new images below (click to enlarge). The Lovely Bones is in theaters December 11, 2009.