By May, four studios remained interested in the project: DreamWorks, Warner Bros., Sony, and Universal. "The Lovely Bones" was sold to DreamWorks for $70 million. Paramount Pictures received the rights to distribute the film worldwide. Production began in October 2007 in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and New Zealand. Shooting in parts of Delaware, Chester and Montgomery counties, including Hatfield, Ridley Township, Phoenixville, Royersford, Malvern and East Fallowfield, lasted a few weeks, and most of the studio shooting was done in New Zealand.