Speaking at Comic-Con for his producing role in the upcoming animated feature “The Goon,” David Fincher has provided a few updates on his gestating adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s uber-popular Millenium Series starting with the first installment, “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.”
Despite consistently being described as an “Americanization” of the tale, Fincher revealed to MTV that his Steve Zaillian-scripted adaptation will in fact remain faithful to the novel’s native setting of “Stockholm [and] Uppsala. In the north, you have to. What, are you going to put it in Seattle?” the helmer joked. “Seattle noir?”
The Daily Beast further reports that the race for the role of female lead, Lisabeth Salander, has now dwindled down to four with Emily Browning out. That would leave the quartet of his “The Social Network” star Rooney Mara, Australians Sarah Snook (Julia Leigh’s upcoming sex-drama “Sleeping Beauty” ironically starring Browning) and Sophie Lowe (“Blame”) as well as French thespian Lea Seydoux (“Robin Hood,” “Inglourious Basterds”).
Fincher looks to make a deliberate effort to avoid discussing the casting for Salander with MTV though the remaining four contenders apparently screen-tested for Fincher as recently as last Thursday after surviving a cut that saw known actresses over the age of 24 and taller than 5’5″ ruled out. Interestingly, the report also notes that one time contender Ellen Page was told to “keep working on her Swedish accent” during the casting process.
As for rumors of a back to back shoot including the Millenium series sequels, “The Girl Who Played With Fire” and “The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest”? “No, there’s no plans for [shooting back to back] right now. You’ve got to know that people want to see a sequel to before you can make a sequel.”
Whatever happens, the project should start coming together in the near future following in the shadow of Daniel Craig who was just confirmed as Fincher’s lead Mikael Blomkvist. Lensing begins this fall for a December 21st, 2011 release.
I wonder if the buzz around Sucker Punch was perhaps the reason why Browning is out since like you guys have been saying he wants an unknown.
No one is saying, "I can't wait for that new Emily Browning movie, Sucker Punch!"
Emily Browning is out because she wouldn't make a test deal..she wanted like 5 x what the other girls were getting.
There's the door…..
True – but she has the main role in a major motion picture coming out in the same year (the budget looks to be 120 million plus – just a guess). She might be a breakout due to Sucker Punch, lessening her impact in Dragon Tattoo. Of course the film looks disastrous so I doubt that will happen.
I guess it's kind of like a reverse Sam Worthington situation with Avatar and Terminator. James Cameron wanted him to gain exposure beforehand because Avatar was an original (yet utterly derivative) property.
My money is on Sarah Snook. She looks very perfect for the role. Sophie Lowe has a very distinctive and severe look (those cheekbones) but seems a bit too pretty looking and fragile. Rooney Mara's sister is Kate Mara – looks like a model.
But when its released in March it'll up her star power by alot…certainly out of the "unknown actress" category.
Not enough movie are made in Seattle – a city so ripe for the cinema.