The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: Lead Actor Cast for the TV Series Adaptation
Filming begins in October
About 15 years after David Fincher's acclaimed film adaptation of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo", Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander are returning – this time, however, not to the big screen, but in a new TV series adaptation. As confirmed by Deadline magazine, the two lead actors have now been cast.
David Oyelowo, who is best known for his roles in "Selma" and the Apple TV series "Silo", has been cast as journalist Mikael Blomkvist. Lisbeth Salander, meanwhile, will be portrayed by "The Crown" actress Viola Prettejohn. Prettejohn thus follows in the footsteps of Noomi Rapace and Rooney Mara, who portrayed the character before her.
Here's what it's about
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo", the first novel in author Stieg Larsson's "Millennium" trilogy, centers on former star journalist Mikael Blomkvist. After his career suffers a major setback, he unexpectedly receives a new assignment. Businessman Henrik Vanger asks him to investigate the mysterious disappearance of his niece, Harriet. During his investigation, Blomkvist uncovers numerous secrets within the family. He is assisted by Lisbeth Salander, a highly gifted hacker.
The story is set in the present day
The series will not simply replicate previous adaptations. Instead, the producers have opted for a contemporary reinterpretation. This is also intended to adapt certain social themes from the novel to the present day. At the same time, the series aims to delve deeper into the history of the Vanger family. The series format in particular offers significantly more room for this. While David Fincher's 2011 feature film had to be limited to about two and a half hours, the Sky production can develop the characters and their relationships in greater depth over the course of several episodes.
According to initial reports, filming is set to begin as early as October of this year in Lithuania. It remains to be seen whether Sky plans to adapt the other books in the "Millennium" series beyond the first season. A premiere date has not yet been announced.
Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy: These Adaptations Already Exist
With his "Millennium" trilogy, Swedish author Stieg Larsson created one of the most successful crime series of the past decades. The series centers on investigative journalist Mikael Blomkvist and hacker Lisbeth Salander, who together encounter dark crimes and powerful adversaries. Following Larsson's death, the three novels – "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo", "The Girl Who Played with Fire", and "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest" – have been adapted for the screen multiple times.
The Swedish Trilogy
It all began in 2009 with the Swedish film adaptation of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo". Noomi Rapace took on the role of Lisbeth Salander, while Michael Nyqvist starred as Mikael Blomkvist. Niels Arden Oplev directed the film. It tells the story of how Blomkvist is commissioned to investigate the mysterious disappearance of Harriet Vanger. In the process, he and Salander uncover a dark family secret.
"The Girl Who Played with Fire" and "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest" followed later that same year. Both films were directed by Daniel Alfredson and, together with "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo", formed a cohesive trilogy. Unlike many later novel-to-film adaptations, the three books were thus adapted for the big screen in relatively quick succession.
The Swedish films established, above all, Noomi Rapace's portrayal of Lisbeth Salander as the definitive version of the character. The actress portrayed the hacker as an uncompromising, traumatized, and at the same time extremely resilient personality.
David Fincher's Hollywood Version
In 2011, Hollywood attempted a new adaptation of the first novel. David Fincher, director of "Fight Club" and "Seven", took on the direction of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo". Daniel Craig played Mikael Blomkvist, while Rooney Mara starred as Lisbeth Salander.
Fincher's film once again followed the plot of the first novel but added its own twists. The story was reworked for an international audience, while Fincher retained the dark and at times oppressive tone of the original. Rooney Mara received an Oscar nomination, among other accolades, for her portrayal of Lisbeth Salander.
Although the film received a great deal of international attention, it remained the only Hollywood adaptation. The planned adaptations of "The Girl Who Played with Fire" and "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest" were never realized.