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Filming has kicked off in a quiet Philadelphian suburb for Peter Jackson's latest project, The Lovely Bones.
The Dreamworks film is based on the best-selling Alice Sebold novel and tells the story of a teenage Philadelphia girl, Susie Salmon, who watches over her suburban family after being brutally raped and murdered.
Filming started last Tuesday in Malvern, Philadelphia, a small borough, home to a population of around 3000 people.
The film's publicist, Claire Raskind, told the Herald on Sunday the production was "running very successfully" but there was a lot of work ahead for the team over the next couple of months.
She declined to comment on a last-minute casting change which saw The Notebook actor Ryan Gosling quit the film, supposedly because of "creative differences" with director Jackson.
Gosling reportedly showed up for filming looking far fatter and with more facial hair than Jackson had expected.
Mark Wahlberg, first famous for his acting debut in Boogie Nights, has taken the role of Susie's father.
Photos of the area Jackson has chosen for the set of the Salmon family home show a well-groomed neighbourhood with a retro feel.
Raskind told a local radio station the area was "perfect for us. The movie takes place in the 1970s and a lot of these homes still look of that period."
Around three streets have been blocked off and are filled with trailers, cranes and vehicles. Police and security guards stand watch at the edges.
Visitors to the scene have been posting observations on websites and blogs. One online account says the Salmon house is a "70s era brown and white ranch-style home, with an old basketball net in the front. We saw Peter Jackson outside giving direction, and some non-famous cast members in 70s-style costumes."
Members of the cast - which includes Susan Sarandon, Rachel Weisz, and Kiwi Rose McIver - have been spotted around town, and residents have been able to watch the stars rehearse from their living rooms.
The production will continue filming in Malvern for six weeks before moving to New Zealand.
