Peter Jackson directed The Lovely Bones in 2009. The supernatural drama adapts Alice Sebold’s 2002 novel about Susie Salmon, a 14-year-old girl who watches over her family after her murder.
The film was written by Jackson with his longtime collaborators Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens. Saoirse Ronan played Susie, while Mark Wahlberg, Rachel Weisz, Susan Sarandon and Stanley Tucci played members of the people connected to her family and case. Tucci portrayed George Harvey, the serial killer responsible for Susie’s death.
The film premiered in London on November 24, 2009, and received a limited United States release on December 11 of that year. Its wide U.S. release followed on January 15, 2010, which explains why some listings associate it with both years.
That release-date difference is the main source of confusion. The film itself is conventionally classified as a 2009 production and release, even though audiences in several countries saw it in 2010.