Saoirse Ronan

After young Susie Salmon is murdered by the local pedophile in "The Lovely Bones," she ends up in a place easily mistaken for heaven, but what she discovers is that this magical terrain is actually an in-between state, "a place she's caught in until she can resolve the issues of her death," says co-writer Phillipa Boyens. "This in-between world is a 14-year-old's idea of what an ideal world can be." Boyens, along with Fran Walsh and director Peter Jackson, is part of the Oscar-winning troika that wrote Jackson's epic "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, and now the three return, with Jackson directing, to bring to the big screen Alice Sebold's bestselling novel about Salmon, played by Saoirse Ronan ("Atonement")

It may seem like "Twilight" is coming to a close -- what with thousands of fans descending upon Los Angeles Monday night for the premiere of the final film. But the journey isn't yet over for the stars of "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn -- Part 2," who will jet to Europe this evening after attending the film's Hollywood premiere. "Knowing we have to go to London tonight and then to Madrid is so annoying," said Robert Pattinson, decked out in a green Gucci suit. PHOTOS: 'Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2' premiere Kristen Stewart seemed more taken with the present moment.

Even IN such dire times for the real estate market, director Gil Kenan holds a particularly bleak view of housing. The young British director's first feature, 2006's "Monster House," looked at a scary mansion inclined to gobble up unlucky visitors. In his new movie, “City of Ember,” Kenan's scope expands to an entire town that's failing so fast its inhabitants must figure out a way to flee -- or else. Adapted from Jeanne DuPrau’s ingenious middle-reader novel about a post-apocalyptic world in which everything -- including electricity, food and optimism -- is in short supply, "City of Ember" contains an inherently cinematic idea: It's a dystopian "Great Escape."

THE Oscar nominees' luncheon -- a long-held tradition at the Beverly Hilton Hotel that usually kicks off the giddy weeks before the televised ceremony -- couldn't quite shake the long shadow cast by the 13-week writers strike, despite news that a settlement could come as early as Friday.

DreamWorks Helena Bonham Carter, Sacha Baron Cohen, Johnny Depp, Alan Rickman for "Sweeney Todd"; Halle Berry, Benicio del Toro for "Things We Lost in the Fire." Focus Features Romola Garai, Keira Knightley, James McAvoy, Vanessa Redgrave, Saoirse Ronan for "Atonement"; Vincent Cassel, Viggo Mortenson for "Eastern Promises"; Tony Leung, Tang Wei for "Lust, Caution"; Jennifer Connelly for "Reservation Road"; Don Cheadle for "Talk to Me."

"Atonement," the sweeping romantic epic starring James McAvoy and Keira Knightley, dominated the nominations for the British Academy of Film and Television Arts' film awards Wednesday. The adaptation of Ian McEwan's acclaimed novel of redemption was nominated for 14 awards, including best film, best British film, best director for Joe Wright, best adapted screenplay for Christopher Hampton, best actress for Knightley, best actor for McAvoy and best supporting actress for Saoirse Ronan.

Hitchcock once called actors cattle. Herd mentality certainly ruled the Oscar red carpet, with most actresses choosing one-shouldered gowns in black or red. The coif du jour? A rain-resistant ponytail -- spotted on Cameron Diaz, Anne Hathaway, Saoirse Ronan and Miley Cyrus. AMY RYAN First look: The nominee for "Gone Baby Gone" made no cannonball splash in a one-shouldered, navy Calvin Klein gown and a bun better suited to a Denny's waitress.

"Avatar," "An Education" and "The Hurt Locker" dominated the nominations Thursday for the Orange British Academy Film Awards, receiving eight each. "Avatar," which won Golden Globes on Sunday for best dramatic film and director James Cameron, earned nominations from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts for best film, director, cinematography, editing, music, production design, sound and special visual effects. "An Education," about a British teenage girl's affair with an older man, received nominations for best film, outstanding British film, adapted screenplay (Nick Hornby)

Max Payne 20th Century Fox, $29.98/$34.98; Blu-ray, $39.98 Some of the best modern videogames achieve a near-cinematic quality, but the big-screen videogame adaptation "Max Payne" proves that a game-plot alone does not a movie make. Mark Wahlberg plays Max, a police detective working to solve the case of his murdered family by venturing into the realm of the supernatural.

X-Men: First Class 20th Century Fox, $29.98; Blu-ray, $39.99 The X-Men franchise gets a stylish reboot with "X-Men: First Class," which jumps back to 1962 to explore the friendship between a young professor Charles Xavier and Erik "Magneto" Lehnsherr as they work together and train mutants under the auspices of a skeptical federal government. Director Matthew Vaughn and a team of producers and screenwriters aim for a retro spy-movie cool, only with costumed, superpowered heroes and villains.