By SARAH FITZMAURICE

What age gap? Julia Roberts defied her age and stole the spotlight from her younger co-star Hayden Panettiere at the Fireflies in the Garden premiere

There is more than 20 years between them, not that you’d know it.

And on the red carpet for the premiere of their film Fireflies In The Garden Hayden Panettiere failed to outshine her veteran co-star Julia Roberts, with her youthful good looks.

While Hayden, 22, looked lovely in a glittering olive dress the 43-year-old Pretty Woman star stole the limelight by defying her 43-years of age.


The 43-year old actress looked stunning in an all-black ensemble as she posed on the red carpet at the Pacific Theater in Los Angeles

Julia looked closer to Hayden’s age as she posed on the red carpet at the premiere at the Pacific Theater at the Grove.

The mother-of-three looks stunning in an all-black outfit wearing a dress with ruffled detail under a satin jacket.


Mature look: While Julia defied her years Hayden looked older than her 22-years in an asymmetrical olive dress with glittering detail

And adding extra oomph to her outfit the actress had donned a glittering statement necklace with silver and black jewels.

While Julia had teased her hair into loose curls, which helped her cut years off her appearance, Hayden had also opted for tighter ringlets which had the opposite effect making her appear more mature.

While Julia has somehow managed to turn back the clocks she and the other stars of the film have been waiting four years for the premiere of the film.


Finally here: Cast members Shannon Lucio and Carrie-Anne Moss have waited like the other stars for four years for the film to premiere

The cast began filming the movie in Texas in early 2007, but the shoot turned into a four-year-ordeal owing to a troubled film festival debut and financial problems.

Initially Dennis Lee, who wrote the screenplay managed to pull together $500,000 from family and friends before Senator Entertainment, an American offshoot of a German film company, agreed to stump up $8million for Lee to make the film.


Finally here: The film took so long to premiere because of financial and legal problems as well as a bad festival debut

Things got even better for Lee when he signed up the all-star cast including Roberts, Panettiere and Ryan Reynolds to star in the film.

However the project was left put on hold for what turned into four years after a serious of problems, including financial issues at Senator, which eventually folded, a disastrous showing at the Berlin Film Festival and.

After launching a campaign, along with the help of Julia as well as family and friends, Lee managed to get around the issues and re-cut the film.


So happy: Julia, pictured smiling with Dermot Mulroney, helped Dennis Lee with his campaign to get the film to the big screen


In character: Julia in the film portraying Lisa Taylor

Speaking to the Los Angeles Times about the wait Julia said: ‘As frustrating and agonizing and confusing as the years have been I feel it has all been worth the effort.’

The film tells the story of the Taylor family who are devastated by an accident that takes place on the day Lisa Taylor, the mother, is due to graduate from college, decades after leaving to raise her children.


Fireflies in the Garden Trailer 2011 HD



source: dailymail