Susan Sarandon and Saoirse Ronan were among the stars who braved the rain and wind at the London premiere of their new movie The Lovely Bones.

Many of the stars wore coats and carried umbrellas at the glitzy screening, which was chosen as this year's Royal Film Performance and was attended by the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall.

Director Peter Jackson said he was impressed with 15-year-old Saoirse, who plays a young girl who has been murdered and watches over her family from heaven, adding: "This is the beginning of a very long career for her."

The filmmaker said of making the movie, based on the acclaimed best-selling novel by Alice Sebold: "We all wonder what it's like after we die, is there some life after death existence. It is I think one of those questions that everybody thinks about from time to time.

"It's a challenging movie but I wanted to make it really positive."

Saoirse, wearing a grey strappy chiffon dress despite the winter chill, said: "It was great to grow as an actress."

She said of the buzz around the film: "I think there is a little bit of pressure but I'm trying not to think about it."

Another star of the film, Carolyn Dando, was at the event in Leicester Square and confessed she was nervous at the idea of meeting royalty. "I'm picturing tripping over when I try to do my curtsy," she said.

The Lovely Bones, which is generating Oscar buzz, also stars Rachel Weisz, Stanley Tucci and Mark Wahlberg. It opens in the UK in January 2010.