The tale of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is an odd one. Based on Stieg Larsson’s bestselling thriller novel of the same name, the film adaptation was a huge hit overseas, spawning several sequels and even a US remake. Directed by David Fincher and starring Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander, the English version released back in 2011 and while not a massive hit, it did do fairly well with both critics and at the box office.
However, here we are, six years later and still, there’s been no word on a sequel. Well, until today that is. Just hours ago, we got word that Sony would be moving ahead with an adaptation of the fourth novel in Larsson’s series, The Girl in the Spider’s Web. It’s set to act as a soft reboot and at the moment, Fede Alvarez is attached to direct, working off a script he wrote alongside Steven Knight and Jay Basu.
“I’m hugely excited and grateful for this opportunity,” Alvarez said in a statement released earlier today. “Sony has become family to me and I can’t think of a more thrilling project to celebrate our relationship. Lisbeth Salander is the kind of character any director dreams of bringing to life. We’ve got a great script and now comes the most fun part — finding our Lisbeth.”
It’s a strange move, heading down this route. Why the studio chose to start over, essentially, rather than just bringing back the original cast and continuing on with the next book in the series, The Girl Who Played with Fire, is a mystery. But it is what it is and now, with the board wiped clean, the hunt for someone to bring Salander to life begins. No one’s been chosen just yet, but Variety is telling us that both Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson are being eyed for the role originally played by Mara.
Given that both actresses have portrayed dark, layered characters in the past to great success bodes well for them, and while we’re certainly a bit disappointed that Mara won’t get another crack at the role, either of the aforementioned women would do extremely well here. Even if rebooting the series and skipping to the fourth book is a puzzling move. Then again, we’re just happy to be getting more of Lisbeth Salander and given how well crafted Alvarez’s Don’t Breathe was, we’re looking forward to seeing what he can do with this property.
What do you think, though? Is rebooting the right move? And who do you want to see star in The Girl in the Spider’s Web? Let us know by commenting below!
