David Fincher, director of the American adaptation of the most ubiquitous book of the summer, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, revealed today that his film would keep the original book’s Swedish setting. Tattoo, the first in Swedish author Stieg Larsson’s posthumous thriller trilogy, follows the adventures of disgraced journalist Mikael Blomkvist and troubled computer hacker Lisbeth Salander as they attempt to solve a long-cold missing persons case. Fincher’s adaptation, starring Daniel Craig, is set to be released in December, 2011.
The announcement isn’t especially surprising, since the story (Spoilers!) involves retired Nazis, who would seem a bit more conspicuous living in the States, but it’s still unusual for a big-budget Hollywood film to eschew the continental US altogether. One interesting issue raised by the setting is casting, since Daniel Craig is the only player in place, it remains to be seen if the British actor will be the odd man out in a Swedish cast, or if Fincher’s Sweden will be populated solely by Englishmen.
Source: MTV
Previously:
Though MGM and producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli must be less than pleased that production on Bond 23 has been delayed, star Daniel Craig is loving the free time – because he’s picking up work like he’s the last leading man in the business.
After starring in Jon Favreau’s Cowboys and Aliens, the British actor may work with David Fincher on the highly anticipated English language version of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, the first film in a planned trilogy based on Stieg Larsson’s worlwide, best-selling literary franchise. The Wrap reports that Craig is nearing a deal to play the journalist who is looking for the missing woman. Natalie Portman, Keira Knightley, Carey Mulligan and Kristen Stewart have expressed interest in taking on the coveted starring role in the mystery flick that revolves around the long-unsolved disappearance of an heiress.
Columbia Pictures, who will produce and distribute the film, claims not to have offered the role to anyone just yet, but given Craig’s relationship with the studio that co-distributes the Bond film, it makes perfect sense that they’d want to keep him on the lot while the MGM mess is worked out.
