Irish actress Saoirse Ronan is hotly tipped to receive her second Oscar nomination for her starring role in the “The Lovely Bones.”

The young Irish thespian, who was nominated for an Academy Award for her star turn in “Atonement” alongside Keira Knightley, plays the lead role in the movie based on the bestselling novel by Alice Sebold.

Ronan plays Susie Salmon, a young girl who is raped and murdered, and watches over her family from heaven.

The moving tale co-stars Irish-American actor Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weisz as Susie’s parents, and Susan Sarandon as the grandmother. Stanley Tucci plays the disturbed man who kills Susie.

Since the trailer for the film became available, film critics and movie buff bloggers have been pushing for Carlow born Ronan, 14, to be nominated for the Oscar.

“The Lovely Bones,” from “Lord of the Rings” director Peter Jackson, was pushed to a December release to coincide with awards season.

The highly anticipated film is narrated by Ronan, who opens the new trailer with the eerie line: "I was 14 years old when I was murdered on December 6, 1973."

The young Irish actress has described the film as “unbelievable.”

“Peter [Jackson] is going to do it in such a way that it's really beautiful,” she said. “It's seen through a child's eye, kind of like “Atonement” I suppose, and kind of Susie's imagination makes Heaven. It's really beautiful. I don't want to give too much away, but it's really gorgeous.”