Five years have gone by since the American THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO came out, introducing the character of Lisbeth Salander to the mainstream, movie-going public. The movie won critical acclaim and received several Oscar nominations, including Best Actress for Rooney Mara’s superb work as Salander (and winning Best Film Editing). Since then we’ve been wondering if we’ll ever get a sequel based on the other books, and so many years have gone by that many have given up hope. But for those who have clung on for dear life you're about to be rewarded, because a new movie is closer than you think.
Variety got the exclusive that Sony is looking at none other than EVIL DEAD and DON’T BREATHE director Fede Alvarez to direct a sequel to the film from a script by Steven Knight (EASTERN PROMISES, LOCKE, ALLIED). The studio has been planning the movie since last year and is looking to fast-track the movie into production, wanting to start shooting next year.
The story will not be an adaptation of either of the two immediate books after TATTOO, THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE and THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET’S NEST, which were written by author Stieg Larsson and given film adaptations in Sweden with star Noomi Rapace. Instead the movie will jump to the fourth book, THE GIRL IN THE SPIDER’S WEB, by David Lagercrantz who took over writing the series after Larsson died in 2004. The book follows Salander and journalist Mikael Blomkvist as they enter a world of spies, criminals and government agents to uncover a new mystery. Ooooh, suspenseful!
No word yet on if remake stars Mara and Daniel Craig (Blomkvist) will be reprising their roles in the film, but Mara herself has said recently that she was not "holding out hope" to get to do a new movie. But given the fact Sony wants to start shooting next year I could see them making the two stars an offer, for the sake of getting things moving.
Though I would be more excited if I knew Craig and Mara were coming back this is still cool news. Alvarez delivered one of the year’s standout movies with DON’T BREATHE, proving he has a gift for delivering relentless, atmospheric tension with strong characters in the middle. As well Knight is as reliable a writer as they come, knocking it out of the park with movies like LOCKE, EASTERN PROMISES and the Netflix show PEAKY BLINDERS. I'm just glad a new movie is coming at all. The characters of Salander and Blomkvist, and the world they inhabit, is so intriguing that as long as you get talented people making the movie there's little room for it to be bad. Pay Craig whatever he wants, Sony, and get this thing moving!
THE GIRL IN THE SPIDER'S WEB is aiming to start filming next year.