Image Credit: Dave Hogan/Getty ImagesThough Sony says there is no offer on the table, an insider confirmed that the studio has begun talks with Daniel Craig (Quantum of Solace) to star in the Hollywood adaptation in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Craig, who is about to start shooting the sci-fi western Cowboys & Aliens for Dreamworks, would play journalist Mikael Blomkvist. The news was first reported by The Wrap.
Craig’s schedule is clear now that the next James Bond movie has been postponed indefinitely due to MGM’s financial woes. Tattoo is an adaptation of the first book in the best-selling Millennium trilogy from the late Stieg Larsson. David Fincher is set to direct to film and is said to be high on Craig. The two are expected to meet in Los Angeles in the next few days.
I thought Brad Pitt was going to do it? This actually works out better — Craig looks far more Nordic and is less “pretty.” Although Blomkvist isn’t really a buff Bond type, either.
I’m actually more curious to see who lands the Salander role. Obviously it’s pretty coveted. I wouldn’t mind any of the ladies EW’s floated around, with the exception of Kristen Stewart.
I haven’t read the novel…so is there supposed to be a sizable age gap between Blomkvist and Salander? Because the idea of Craig romantically involved with Stewart, Page, Mia Wasikowska, or even Portman and Mulligan seems kind of skeevy.
Yes, there is supposed to be a NOTABLE size gap between the two leads; Lisbeth is supposed to be early 20s, but looks about 18, while Mikael would be in his early 40s. It’s supposed to see a little off. And I would LOVE to see Stewart tackle this, under a director like Fincher. She has the right screen presence, and I think she has the talent to tap into something really dark and brilliant as Lisbeth.
Please no Stewart… no way she could pull off the brilliant character of Lisbeth. Don’t do it!
Kristen Stewart is a good actress. Maybe my opinion would change if I saw Twilight, but as of now, what I’ve seen is good… That said, I’d like Natalie Portman.
I’ve read in several places now that the role is for Carey Mulligan, and I think she’s a great choice!
While reading the book, I tried to picture an actress in Lisbeth’s role. I tried to picture Natalie Portman mainly due to her small frame and her work in V, but I think she’s too pretty
Mikael is in his late 40s- 48 as I remember (and the actor who played him in the Swedish version quite looked it) and Salander is 25 or 26, but could be mistaken for a child- very slight and no bust to speak of.
I think DC would be terrific.
I love the thought of an out of shape Craig playing Blomkvist but I really feel they need an unknown actress as Lisabeth. All the names mentioned in EW would have to act so out of their comfort roles they have choosen in the past and I can’t see any of them agreeing to the piercing the role requires. Also if role is played correctly if would define that actress for life.
And Kristen Stewart already worked with David Fincher, in ‘Panic Room.’
1. Kristen is the worst actress alive and needs to be erased from Hollywood, she is ugly and has little talent she already ruined one of my favorite series for me don’t let her do it again.
2. Rooney Mara did not deserve the role becuase she is much to large chested and sweet. I only thin she got the role because she worked with this director in the social network.
3. Emma roberts would have been my ideal choice the play Lisbeth.
4.Why did they bleach her eyebrows! Stupid Director.
Yeah, I’m for Craig over Pitt.
Agreed!
Even if you don’t like Kristen Stewart, you have to admit she does sullen & awkward well. She’s also skinny & unhealthy looking enough to be Lisbeth.
Unhealthy, sullen? She has the most amazing skin, body and legs! She is stunner. And when she smiles, it’s truly genuine smile, not artificial plaster.
no she is totallt fake looking and way to ugly to play lsibeth and her smile looks like it belong on the mouse from chuckycheese if he got run over by a car!
Brad Pitt is a horrible choice. I like Craig in the role because while he’s very handsome he can really turn himself into the characters he portrays very well for roles, so I think this would fit. Blomkvist isn’t supposed to be a looker and I think Craig could accomplish that…and he’s a great actor.
Blomkvist is supposed to be quite a ladies’ man, so he does need to look like it. Still, Pitt is too pretty. I could see Craig, though, or Viggo Mortensen. Guys with strong looks.
I actually like Brad Pitt for the role. He’s the right age and has the right look. Plus, he’s got the talent to pull it off. Daniel Craig is okay, but he bores me.
If you want nordic, get Alexander Skarsgaard. Yum!
He’s about a decade and a half too young.
He’s too young for the role of Blomquist, but could see him as one of the other journalists who also work at Millennium.
Yuck…Brad Pitt would totally suck at the role….Daniel Craig is right for it….hopefuly.
Well, Craig is most famous for James Bond, but he is a decent all around actor. He could stop working out for a few months, but I think he could play an overworked journalist with the weight of the world on his shoulders.
I really like Craig’s sympathetic and principaled assasin in Elizabeth. That’s when I first noticed his chops. The man has nuance.
Daniel Craig seems to be a better choice than Brad Pitt.
agreed. i can’t watch Brad Pitt movies anymore without seeing him with 20 kids attached to his legs.
Seriously? You are that disturbed by the thought that he has children that you cannot bring yourself to watch him in a movie? Sounds like someone is a little jealous! (or mentally disturbed…. or both).
@kylla:
I think what “yep” meant is that Pitt’s celebrity persona interferes with his believability as a character. When your personal life is posted daily all over the tabloids and every detail of your life is discussed ad nauseum, eventually all you see when you look at the movie screen is the celebrity, not the character they are playing. It keeps distanced from the film. And even if you don’t read the gossip sites and such, you still manage to hear about brangelina. They’re kind of hard to avoid.
Brad Pitt only has 6 kids and what does him being a father have to do with his acting? If anything, I think he’s gotten better since he became a dad.
Definitely!! I was nervous when I heard Pitt. This is much more believable casting!!
Pitt is sure to deliver the BIG “O” don’t ya think!
Good choice. I saw the Swedish version a couple months ago and it was very powerful. Still have to read the book and I am eager to find out what happens next to Lisbeth. I wonder who will play her in the English version.
I really liked Rapace in the Swedish version too.
Am halfway through the book. I think he would be perfect for the part. What ab Lisbeth Salander? I have heard Kristen Stewarts name thrown in there (is that real?) and I think that could be v. cool.
I’m praying for anyone BUT Kristen Stewart. I can’t stand her. I actually hope they go with an unknown actress, but I think Page or Mulligan would be far better.
page would be great– she can do dark, and Lisbeth is tiny– 4’9″. No K. Stew. So tired of her whining about being famous
Oh, you know, I’m not remotely an Ellen Page fan, but she really might be perfect for that role. Good thought, Hannah.
I really like Ellen Page, but I also like Kristen Stewart. Excluding Twilight, which I think everyone bombed in, she’s been pretty stellar in everything I’ve seen of hers. She was amazing in Adventureland (just watch the scene where she pulls her stepmom’s wig off if you don’t believe me), her cameo in Into the Wild was inspired, my kids love Zathura, which isn’t Oscar-caliber by any stretch, but she was terrific anyway, her performance in Speak was heartbreaking and real, and even when she was just a kid in Panic Room, she was fresh, and obviously talented. I get that people have a problem with those weird sort of nervous tics that she has, but if you can get past it, the girl is obviously in it for the long haul, and I predict several Oscar noms, if not an actual win, in her future.
Oh, and if you haven’t seen The Cake Eaters, see it for her performance alone. She plays a girl with cerebral paulsy, and I promise you’ve never seen her more immersed in a role. It wasn’t my favorite film, but her performance was AMAZING.
Oh, and one more thing: if the only thing you’ve seen her in was Twilight, or haven’t given any of her more lauded performances a chance, then please refrain from saying she can’t act at all. That’s just silly and close-minded.
I’m sick of people assuming that if you dislike Stewart, you MUST not have seen her in anything but Twilight. Stop making assumptions. I’ve seen many of her non-Twilight movies and I still don’t get what the fuss is. I FORGOT she was in Into the Wild, she was “good” in Speak because the character happened to have nearly the exact mannerisms/attitude she does, I found her flat and dull in Adventureland and it took me about 10 minutes to realize that she was a girl in Panic Room.
Not everyone dislikes her acting just because of Twilight. I haven’t even SEEN Twilight.
I think she’s phenomenal, and I think it’s sad that a lot of people (though no everyone, you’re right Hannah) judge her solely on the Twilight Saga. She does fine with what she’s given, which is absolute trash. That script? Such a mess. Everyone in that cast is doing the best considering what they’re working with…
Though I enjoyed Carey Mulligan’s performance in An Education, I think that between her and Ellen Page, Page could probably be more convincing as Lisbeth Salander. I also like the idea of Daniel Craig as Blomkvist. What I’m not as happy about is the planned Hollywoodi-zation of this movie. I loved the original adaptation in Swedish with subtitles that I saw a few weeks ago. Though, to be fair, the Hollywood adaptation, most likely in English, will benefit visually impaired audience members for whom reading the subtitles would be difficult or impossible. I went into the movie knowing little to nothing about the series, and I found it absolutely fascinating! I’m looking forward to buying books 2 and 3 in the trilogy.
There is one poster on these boards in threads by several unique names with the opinion that Ellen Page is a great choice for Salander, but Kristin Stewart is not. Ok. Message received. Thank you.
Ellen Page is my choice. I can deal with Carey Mulligan in the role too, but Kristen Stewart would be a terrible choice.
I’m halfway too! I agree with msw- I think Kristen Stewart would be great as Lisbeth.
Craig is a better choice than Pitt. I agree that Pitts prettiness wouldnt help the effect of that character for some reason
I like Daniel Craig. I wonder if they are going to transplant the story to the U.S. To me, the novel works because its mindset is so foreign. The Swedish movie captures this. I think moving it a domestic locale will diminish it.
I imagine they’ll keep it in Sweden but have the characters speak English. They can’t move it from Sweden, it’d be disaster.
They have to keep the setting in Sweden. If they move the location it would ruin it.
No worries. I heard Rudin was scoping locations in Sweden weeks ago. They’ll nail this!
Lisbeth = Kristen Stewart! I done with this books. Salander= Stewart perfect match.and I saw the movie is very good.
Please God no. She can’t act to save her life. Although she does have Salander’s surliness down, that’s a matter of the role fitting the actor, not the other (proper) way around.
I’d rather see someone like Page or Knightley who can actually act. Or a complete unknown.
While I am rooting for Stewart, I do think Knightley would be ASTONISHING. Google Noomi Rapace, who played Lisbeth in the (absolutely incredible) Swedish film – she seems NOTHING like her on-screen counterpart. An up-and-coming no-name would also be a great choice for the film.
No Knightly!
Why are they making this? The GREAT one just was out in theatres a few months ago! Ridiculous
My thoughts exactly. It was already in theatres. It was awesome. Why do we need a remake?
Unfortunately most American audiences refuse to see subtitled movies. But I agree, the Swedish version was FANTASTIC. After seeing Noomi Rapace as Lisbeth I cannot imagine anyone else in the role. She IS Lisbeth.
Thank you!!! It was brilliant and I can’t see anyone besides Noomi as Lisbeth. I wish that they would just leave well enough alone and not ruin it.
Absolutely — I totally agree! They got it right, leave it alone. The cast was perfect, the story based on the book was right on — we don’t need to Hollywoodize it. If Americans are too stupid to watch a Swedish film with subtitles, they won’t get it anyway!
Craig is actually a great choice to Mikael. I think he’d do great.
I’m more worried about who’s playing Lisbeth, though. Noomi Rapace did such a good job in the Swedish versions that I think whoever takes the role would have a challenge. I’m wondering if it wouldn’t just be better to keep Rapace, or else find an unknown actress.
I’m not entirely happy with the choices given — Knightley and Portman are too pretty, Page too cherubic, Mulligan’s too friendly and Stewart, well, gag me. I think of those five, I’d prefer Page, but none of them really cut it.
I hope they find someone who is close to the author’s description of Lisbeth, ie, 4’11, 90lbs and looks 14.
Page could pull it off with some camera work and weight loss. Not that she’s fat, it’s just that Lisbeth is REALLY thin. Ever see Hard Candy? She can definitely look much younger than she is.
But yeah, I agree they’d be better off hunting up an unknown who fits the physical description.
My biggest nightmare is that Stewart will get it and I won’t be able to see it. Seriously. I can’t watch her in anything.
maybe it would be best if they got somebody who was actually like 16 or something
“…and Stewart, well, gag me” – so funny! hahahaha
Seriously, somebody get some men on this board. The estrogen is too imbalanced.
Why do people say too pretty? In the book its made clear that she is supposed to be very beautiful…that she just doesnt do anything with it. But I think her boss even thinks to himself that her face could be on billboards. Same with the male lead…Lisbeth actually thinks to herself that he is quite good looking when she sees his pic on his book (thats as far as I have read
I agree that Craig is a great choice! Brad Pitt I thought – would be wrong for it. I think for Lisbeth they need to go for a more unknown younger actress. It would be a star making role though. Almost halfway through the last book.
I also agree the location needs to stay in Sweden. I lived there for a year and want to see all the landmarks in the movie!
ugh i wish i could have tried out im 16 5’4 and 92 pounds and have no boobs I’ve been the lead in my school play for two years now and have actually been an extra once in Aqumarine i feel like this could make me
Why not Alexander Skarsgard? He’s not only a good actor, he’s also great to look at – not to mention that he’s actually Swedish.
Alexander is a little too young and wished Stellan was ten years younger, he would be perfect!
ASkars would be great if he were only about 10-12 years older. Blomkvist is in his mid 40s. Skarsgard might also be a little too…pretty. Same problem Pitt would’ve had if he’d been cast.
ASkars might be good in one of the supporting roles, perhaps against type as one of the misogynists who populate the trilogy.
Why nor Mads Mikkelsen? He’s not Swedish but Danemark is their neighbour, and I always thought he’d be great for this role…
While Mads is fairly good in English, I don’t think he has the international name recognition to open a film. Also looks like he’s doing the new Three Musketeers film, so might not be available.
I love Skarsgard but he’s too pretty and too young. As someone else said above, if his father was about 10 years younger he’d be perfect however.
Like the idea of Daniel Craig, but when I read the book, I could not get Viggo Mortensen out of my mind as Mikhail. I am reading the second book and I still picture Viggo.
yeeeeees. I love Viggo.
Stewart? hell no! Portman & Page are a good fit or try someone new like Abbie Cornish.
Natalie Portman is too old these days. I mean, she’s still gorgeous, but she can’t play that young anymore and it still be believable.
to be honest, natalie is too beautiful to play it.
Abbie Cornish? You’re kidding yourself with that choice.
I love him at mysugardaddydating
Craig would make a FAR better Blomkvist than Pitt! And OMG anyone BUT Stewart for Salander, PLEASE. I just finished Hornet’s Nest–it’s amazing. There is NO WAY Stewart could pull it off. I think Carey Mulligan or Natalie Portman could do the part justice.