Sarah Bolger and Freddie Highmore in The Spiderwick Chronicles Courtesy of Paramount Pictures

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"Don't trust what you think you see," is the primary message of the faerie-and-goblin-filled fantasy adventure film, The Spiderwick Chronicles — Nickelodeon Movies' maiden voyage into theatrical feature films, based on the best-selling contemporary fantasy novels by acclaimed children's book authors Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi.

Helmed by tween film veteran Mark Waters (Mean Girls, Freaky Friday) and produced by Mark Canton, Larry Franco, and powerhouse Kathleen Kennedy (E.T., Gremlins, Back to the Future, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom… the credits go on and on), Spiderwick centers around the adventures of troubled young Jared Grace, played by Freddie Highmore (Finding Neverland, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) as he and his mom Helen (Mary-Louise Parker), fencing champion older sister Mallory (Sarah Bolger), and twin brother Simon (also played by Highmore) move into their great, great uncle Spiderwick's long abandoned, spooky Victorian home in New England. Not only do they discover all manner of strange things in the creepy old house, but Jared also stumbles upon a sealed, antique journal bearing the title Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You. The journal is that of Jared's great, great uncle Spiderwick, who had spent his life and career chronicling all the unseen faeries, goblins, ogres, trolls, and sprites who inhabit the world around the Spiderwick Estate. At first, the book appears to be the work of their great uncle's imagination — but soon the siblings discover that there's more truth to Spiderwick's ramblings than they know.

What ensues is a non-stop romp around DiTerlizzi and Black's universe, known by kids everywhere as a nexus for our contemporary world and that of a bygone alternate world filled with fairies, goblins, ogres and high adventure. For Highmore, the film presented a unique set of challenges — not only playing twins, but playing twins on the run from mystical creatures. Naturally, the monsters proved more difficult than the double-duty acting.

"At least when I was acting against myself," says the young Londan native. "I could work out before hand how each twin was reacting to his brother. Although it was a bit surreal walking around talking to myself."