Back in March, we learned that Sony was still looking to make more English-language films based on the so-called Millennium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson. The original book trilogy was already filmed in Swedish, with Noomi Rapace playing Lisbeth Salander. Sony made the first book, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, in English with Rooney Mara playing Lisbeth, and Mara ended up getting an Oscar nomination for the film. Still, people at Sony didn’t like how much money David Fincher spent on the project, nor did they like that the film did mediocre box office. So Fincher is out, and Rooney is out, for some reason. And now they’re going to make the fourth book, The Girl in the Spider’s Web, into a movie. Back in March, they were talking about casting another actress to play Lisbeth, but the shortlist sounded so… awful. Like, Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson were auditioning, maybe? And now we have a leading contender for the role and it’s not the actress I was expecting.
Claire Foy, who stars as Queen Elizabeth on Netflix’s The Crown, is Sony’s choice to step up to the keyboard to play hacker Lisbeth Salander in its adaptation of The Girl in the Spider’s Web. Fede Alvarez is attached to direct the project, which is seen as a relaunch of the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo franchise.
The studio has been on the hunt for a new actress to take on the role, and the finalists came down to Foy and Felicity Jones, sources say. Foy has the offer, according to insiders, but scheduling is one of the challenges that need to be worked out. (The actress is also fielding interest from Universal for its Neil Armstrong biopic First Man, starring Ryan Gosling.)
The role of the brooding and strong Salander is a coveted one as it has proven to be both launch pad and showcase. Noomi Rapace starred in the Swedish-language trilogy, which was an international hit and catapulted her onto the worldwide stage. Rooney Mara played the part in the 2011 film directed by David Fincher and received an Academy Award nomination.
I don’t watch The Crown so I can’t speak to Foy’s acting skills. I have watched her in interviews and she’s very charming and very British. She’s also a small woman, which is necessary for someone playing Lisbeth – they need to be petite and almost child-like. That’s vital to the role. Claire is small, but would she be able to pull off Lisbeth’s brooding intensity? I don’t know. I think it’s interesting that the studio would go for a British actress though. I wonder if Foy would attempt a Swedish accent?
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Why not Naomi Rapace? Seriously? She nailed Lisbeth Salander, she is a good actress, why not reprising her role?
Plus, she’s actually Swedish. They need to go with someone who’s not conventionally attractive.
No, they shouldn’t. The character as described in the book as being a gamine Audrey Hepburn lookalike but with piercings and tattoos. She is conventionally attractive but changes her appearance. Besides which, Noomi is too old to play this part now and for her it is completely tapped out. She has repeatedly said that playing the part took a toll on her and she couldn’t possibly go back to it.
I’ve read articles where she has said she is done. It took an emotional toll on her and that she didn’t want to play the character again.
Noomi is glorious but looks a bit too old for the character now.
Huh….weird choice. She’s very good in the Crown but…huh. I really don’t know.
Why wouldn’t they stick with Rooney? She was incredible! She probably wants “too much money”. Just give it to her cheapskates!
I’m sad for Rooney she seemed very dedicated to role and the fans of Milenium. I think the main reason for her no getting back to this franchise is Finsher, she doesn’t want to do it without him. Same she was supposed to star in Red Sparrow but she dropped out when Fincher drop the project.
Yeah, I really liked Rooney as Lisbeth. She got an Oscar nomination for the role and she was clearly excited about getting to do it again.
After watching Rapace as Lisbeth, no one compares to her. Clare Foy could pull it off she’s talented. As for Rooney am not a massive fan of hers but she did well with the role.
Bless Claire Foy, or rather thank god it’s not Felecity Jones.
Looks like Jones is still in the wings but she would be a LOT more expensive than Foy with an Oscar nod and a billion dollar hit behind her. They’re really keen on Brits apparently, and Mara was never a factor.
I wonder if there is any truth that they were initially after Scarlett Johanssen or Natalie Portman? Due respect to Foy but she’s nowhere near that league. I assume this means they want to rely on the IP to sell itself. Yeah…we will see.
Yes. I thought they were gonna cast a complete unknown.
Ugh no, we see enough of both Johansson and Portman. Claire is a breath of fresh air and she is great in The Crown.
Why? I like Felicity. She’s adorable and I thought she was good in the movies I’ve seen of hers (Rogue One, Like Crazy, The Theory of Everything). I actually don’t think she’d make a half bad Lisbeth Salander.
If Felicity Jones was in consideration (and since Rogue One won’t be having any sequels to lock up her schedule), I could actually get behind it – she’s a good actress and as R1 showed, she can look convincing as a hostile-to-the-world action heroine.
I’d be delighted with Foy too.
That would definitely be an interesting choice. If she does get cast and gives a strong performance, she’ll have really proved herself as one of the standout actresses of the moment. I mean, talk about range – from Elizabeth Windsor to Lisbeth Salander!
She played Anne Boleyn in Wolf Hall too.
Also very good in a BBC series, White Heat, a few years back. And Little Dorritt. And the remake of Upstairs Downstairs.
She is a talented actor.
I loved her Anne Boleyn! She wasn’t quite up there with Natalie Dormer in the Tudors (the best onscreen AB in my book), but she was so great. I was annoyed when Damien Lewis and Mark Rylance were the only ones from that show who got awards nominations.
My husband and I binged watched LITTLE DORRITT. My husband loves Dickens novels, did some Dickens scholarship once upon a time.
Lovely actress but she’s mainly been great in British costume dramas. lisbeth is a completly different kind of part. I think she’s too British and conventional looking to be lisbeth. What rapace brought to the part was a weird min of danger and vulnerability, unpredictability and edgily energy. They should find someone with that kind of charisma and energy. Not many British actresses has that kind of energy. Sam morton maybe but shes too old.
@Jessie – everyone seems to have completely forgotten that Rooney Mara hadn’t done anything resembling an action role before TGWTDT too.
Foy has range, I’d rather go for her than Natalie Portman or Scarjo (who have done action movies but are not nearly as good at acting). Action scenes can be learned but the acting is more important.
@teacakes
I think you misread my post. I am talking about rapace, never mentioned Rooney. Who I thought was a weak lisbeth compared to rapace
And never talked about action scenes. That’s not at all why I liked rapace in the part. As I said the energy and unpredictability she brought to the part was just right. Foy is an incredibly talented actress but that doesn’t mean she is right for this part. Really like her though I just want someone more edgy in this part. Have you seen the original Swedish version? It’s not really a high action movie it’s more of a thriller.
@Jessie- my mistake re: Noomi, but the point still stands – I’m not sure Claire Foy can be written off as unsuitable based on the nature of her previous roles.
No Tatiana Maslany, then? Huh.
I like that!
I support this! Tatiana is amazing.
Foy’s an excellent actress and good at broody, repressed types. I think she’d be ok.
Is Sofia Helin too old? I love her.
Foy reads as repressed in a middle class British way. That’s not really what lisbeth is.
I’d like to see a European actress instead, helin is probably a bit too old.
Love her, but hate that hair! Bleached and dark roots, blech.
It seems like a stretch from the Queen to Salander when you first think about it, but then, Foy did very well playing one often emotionally inscrutable sort, right? Maybe not so much of a stretch after all…
I read the first three books several times and watched the Swedish movies. I was skeptical about an English version but I thought it was a good movie. And Rooney Mara was very good.
I will give Claire Foy a chance if she gets to play LS.
claire foy is a great actor,. not specifically in the crown which i never watched and don’t intend to, but she’s had a good career in britain for quite some time and she’s very capable. a while ago i saw her playing lady macbeth on stage opposite james mcavoy, so i know she can definitely play dark, broody characters.
i still don’t want this project to exist though.
Did anyone really read that fourth book? It came out after he died and was finished by either his girlfriend and/or the publishers. The third books was good but way too long and lacked in editing.
So what if Claire Foy isn’t famous for a dark broody role before this? I suppose everyone’s forgotten how basic Rooney used to look before she got her Lisbeth makeover. Or that she wasn’t any more Swedish than Claire is.
Lisbeth Salander in my head has always looked like Summer Glau, and that will remain no matter who is cast here.
Try watching Clair as Lady Percy in Upstairs Downstairs, she gives good broody.
I thought Rooney Mara was the perfect fit for that role. Claire Foy doesn’t strike me as being able to pull off acting the part of a person who is dangerous and kinda unhinged. Mara nailed it.