Tom from dvdactive.com sends along news the Peter Jackons’s ‘The Lovely Bones’ will be out on DVD and Blu-ray on April 20th. More details: Paramount Home Entertainment has announced 1-disc DVD ($19.99) and 2-disc Blu-ray ($29.99) releases of The Lovely Bones for the 20th April. We have no word on any extra material for the 1-disc DVD – if anything is included we’ll let you know just as soon as we hear anything. The 2-disc Blu-ray however will include an extensive production diary in 15 segments hosted by Peter Jackson and Philippa Boyens that follows the film’s shoot and post-production work on the visual effects. More..

Pre-Order the DVD on Amazon.com [Blu-ray]

Linuxelf writes: Peter Jackson talks about the beginnings of the making of the mammoth task which became the lotr trilogy. Plus some personal insights from Peter Jackson. Peter also reveals that’s Gandalf’s voice is based on Tolkien’s voice!

The director used the Venture II in his 2005 remake and later sold it to a property development firm in Wellington, which kept it moored at a wharf in the city. Ownership of the vessel has now passed to Wellington Regional Council after the company went bust, and local authorities plan to scuttle the ship in the Cook Strait on Tuesday (09Feb10), reports Radio New Zealand.

The plans have proved unpopular with residents after it was revealed the sinking will cost tax payers $23,800 (£14,875), but council officials insist the ship is becoming a safety hazard and can no longer be moored at the wharf. More..

Take a look at our Scrapbook collection of ‘Venture II’ here and here

Peter Jackson has revealed he didn’t want to direct The Hobbit, because it would be too much pressure. The Oscar-winning filmmaker, who directed the films in the Lord Of The Rings trilogy, chose not to direct the two-part prequel of Tolkien’s novels but will be revising the script with wife Fran. More..

As Peter Jackson told us earlier, his vision for Susie Salmon’s afterlife in The Lovely Bones (which Paramount Pictures opened wide last weekend) was a surreal, in-between journey to heaven predicated dreams and metaphoric symbols. A house in the dead cornfield represents her murderer, Mr. Harvey; the blooming flower suggests Susie’s life force and her ability to communicate with her father; the Gazebo in the barley field signifies unfulfilled love, with the field turning to mush as she runs toward it.

Interestingly, the vfx challenges for Weta Digital were more artistic than technical, even though the CG imagery of the In-Between world necessitated abandoning the laws of physics. More..