Here are some photos of Claire Foy this weekend, at one of the pre-Emmy events. These photos are from the Variety/Women in Film event. Claire attended the party with her costar Matt Smith – I keep forgetting that he’s actually dating Lily James? I think? Either that or he and Lily James are over and now he’s with Claire. It’s all very complicated and British.
Anyway, I have some news about Claire Foy. I realize that this is a casting issue that most people don’t care about, but I’m fascinated to see how Sony tries to reboot this franchise in English. Earlier this year, it was announced that Sony was going to try to reboot the “Millennium” series, aka the Lisbeth Salander books, aka The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and those books. The original trilogy was first made in Sweden with Noomi Rapace, then Rooney Mara sulked about in one English-language film, and no one wanted to spend the money to make any more. Until now! The studio decided to fire Rooney and David Fincher and cast a new Lisbeth and hire a new director. Claire Foy is now the new Lisbeth!
Sony has found its top choice to front the Millennium series reboot. The Crown queen Claire Foy will take on the role of Lisbeth Salander for The Girl in the Spider’s Web. The relaunch of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is being directed by Fede Álvarez, who is known for horror hits The Evil Dead and Don’t Breathe; he’ll be the one who has to explain to the Zoë Kravitz fandom why he did not read Vulture’s Lisbeth-casting recommendations.
“I couldn’t be more thrilled about Claire taking the reins of the iconic Lisbeth Salander,” Álvarez said. “Claire is an incredible, rare talent who will inject a new and exciting life into Lisbeth. I can’t wait to bring this new story to a worldwide audience, with Claire Foy at its center.” Here’s hoping for a press tour à la Rooney Mara’s: cropped bangs and bleached eyebrows. The Girl in the Spider’s Web is slated to open on October 19, 2018.
One sleepy holiday – last Christmas or the year before, I can’t remember – I read The Girl in the Spider’s Web, which is based off Stieg Larsson’s characters and notes, but was written by David Lagercrantz. It was an enjoyable enough read, but it lacked the weirdness and morbid Swedish noir of the original series. I can’t say that I think Claire Foy will be a particularly interesting Lisbeth, but at least we won’t have to see Rooney’s sour face try to do Lisbeth any longer. Also: this film will need to cast Lisbeth’s twin sister, who looks nothing like Lisbeth. The sister is supposed to be a gorgeous psycho. I wonder who they’ll cast for that role?
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Nay.
Just watch the Noomi Rapace versions. The other ones are not really necessary.
Right? Noomi Rapace was incredible as Lisbeth Salander and the Swedish films were excellent and transported the grittiness of the books. I don’t get why they are trying to reboot this franchise Hollywood style as IMO it will be extremely hard to top the Swedish ones.
Has Noomi made a version with this new book? If no, then one cannot watch the Noomi version of this story.
Yes, Noomi’s versions were MUCH better. I wish I would see her in more stuff, she’s amazing
I think Noomi was phenomenal. But I think Michael Nyqvist was the right choice to play Mikael Blomkvist. *RIP, Nyqvist*
…maybe Noomi was good as Lisabeth Salander but shes been cr*p in the english movies Ive seen her in ie Sherlock & Prometheus both of which could have been played no less worse but maybe a whole lot better by African Americans actresses…
I have to agree with hey-ya. Loved Noomi as Lisbeth and looked forward to watching her career, but oh man has she been TERRIBLE in a bunch of stinkers.
Totally agree. Someone recommended them to me after I expressed how much I didn’t like the Rooney Mara version. So good.
Frankly we don’t need this reboot
What are you talking about. I enjoyed Noomi Rapace in Sherlock Holmes. I think she and Rebecca Ferguson are one of a few Swedish actresses that did well on film in both English and their native countries. Noomi is a very good actress and I am a fan of hers. I don’t say that likely about a lot of Nordic White people and I am Black
Lisbeth was a rare female action character that didn’t have to be attractive and pandering to be allowed to exist and have a story. It’s a shame it didn’t last longer than one movie.
The English version that had only one movie. The original Swedish version had all 3 movies and It was fantastic.
Only The first Sweden movie was good.
The “original Swedish version” is the books – not the movie series. The movie series is just an adaptation that took Lisbeth and watered her down to cool action chick with eyeliner.
@don’t kill me I’m French: I liked all three.
@hikaru: yes, they are all adapation from the books. And I stand by my opinion the I prefer the Swedish movies. In my opinion, There was no need to reboot them in English.
Fincher didn’t do a reboot of the Swedish movies tho, why do you keep calling it a movie reboot? What he did had nothing to do with the Swedish movies and everything to do with the original story – the book story.
@Hikaru: I was not the only calling reboot. Some critics called as well, since many people considered the Swedishe trilogy based on the book the original version. So whatever is called (reboot, remake, English version), I didn’t think it was necessary to be made. Hypothetically speaking, If Inarritu/Alfonso Cuáron decided to make a Spanish version, I would say the same thing even if the movie was well made like the Fincher one. That’s my opinion and personal taste.
Id have watched Kravitz – a compelling scene-stealer – in anything. Oatmeal British queen looking “hot topic edgy” in her black lace isn’t going to win my viewership.
She is SO DULL to watch. Which actually works when she’s playing dull upper crust characters. But not this.
Even the making of it at all is weird to me. The first one wasn’t a hit and it wasn’t that long after the books were everywhere. This many years later, starring someone with a shocking lack of screen presence in what needs to be a magnetic performance… Odd.
What an… interesting… choice for Lisbeth. Foy’s played Lady Anne Boleyn, Lady Persephone in “Upstairs Downstairs”, Queen Elizabeth II, etc, etc. Uppity costume stuff. She has a certain vibe.
I can’t really see it, but this could potentially turn out to be a casting choice like Helena Bonham Carter, who was also seen as just a costume drama actress and then she did Fight Club and blew that perception out of the water. Claire hasn’t had much of a chance yet to show any range.
First things first though- she needs to burn that dress immediately. It’s hideous.
Time will show. She might surprise us.
In the meantime, she could use a stylist. At this point she can afford one.
Thanks for the background info, I had no idea who she was. Her name sounded like the little girl in the last Twilight movie so I clicked on the article in shock. It’s weird there is no info or list of famous movies or TV shows she is known for in the short blurb.
She’s an interesting choice. Her Anne Boleyn in Wolf Hall was a very ambitious and hard character, and often hard to like since she’s seen in the book from Cromwell’s perspective. Lisbeth no matter how much we root for her as readers isn’t a likeable person and someone who’s difficult to be around.
I know they’re going for an older Lisbeth with this one adapting the 4th book, but Maisie Williams would have been a great choice for a younger Lisbeth from the first book. Arya Stark is Lisbeth with better manners and more humanity.
It’s going to be interesting who is cast as Camilla, the prettier, seemingly more normal twin.
I actually liked Rooney’s acting in the Engish version, kinda sorry she did not get to continue.
I was about to comment the same exact thing. I never saw the Swedish version in its entirety, but I enjoyed the US version as well as Mara’s performance. I was bummed to hear that the sequel was not happening.
That’s what I came here to say. I thought she was great for and in the role. I don’t imagine Foy improving on her version of Lisbeth, just watering it down.
Exactly. The Swedish ones were TV movies – and looked it. The Fincher version was better, and Mara was great in the role. Just because some find her annoying off-screen doesn’t negate her performance.
THANK YOU! That’s what I’m always saying. Don’t get me wrong, the Swedish movies are good, but they are good TV movies. The Fincher film is a sleek, well-told beautiful thriller and I liked what they did with the characters/casting too. Not so sure about Claire Foy though. I like her, but I’m not sure she can bring the grit to the character.
Agree. Fincher movies were better made and Rooney was very great and her Lisbeth was different of Rapace’s Lisbeth( even If I prefer Rapace’s Lisbeth)
They did. I liked them but the Fincher/Rooney version of Tattoo was closer to the book. And the 2 and 3rd Swedish movies weren’t as good as the first.
I thought Rooney was great and fit the physical description much better than Noomi.
I liked Rooney and Fincher’s version too.
I liked Noomi and Rooney. Her ‘sour face” is quite appropriate for a character who isn’t exactly a bundle of laughs.
I did too and I really loved the film that Rooney did. I’m pretty disappointed to not see the sequels with her.
Dreadful idea. Nothing against her, she’s very good on the Crown, but this is sheer Sony desperation. They are making the cheap choices to make a cheap movie in a series no one was begging for. Plus that release date? Pure rush job. Terrible all around.
I knew that there would be more to that twin sister story! Gosh, such a shame that Steig Larsson died. Although, ugh, those books were filled with such torture porn. Although, again, Lisbeth kicks SERIOUS ass, so that’s good–but yeesh, the violence against women in those books is staggering
All I can remember from the American version is Daniel Craig yelling “CAT!”
when it was feeding time for a feline.
Noomi and Nyqvist were in the far superior versions, by far.
Rooney Mara was great as Lisbeth Sandler actually more in tune with the character than Noomi Rapace. Anyway this new version seems very cheap and the new books are less than stellar, so it’s no for me. Also Claire Foy is very married and as far as I know Matt Smith is still with Lily James.
Not only is she married but she was breastfeeding all through the shoot for season 1 of The Crown as Matt liked to mention. They seem like they’re good friends tho.
So happy to see folks liking Rooney’s version. It takes a certain amt of nerve to take on a role that was so totally owned by another actress, and she did great. And I say that as a big fan of the Swedish version.
And I think Claire F is an interesting choice- I enjoyed her in WH and The Crown.
Ugh FFS this book wasn’t very good and now they’re of course making some bastardized film of this. Disappointing.
Meh
Um, she’s married and there’s been no news of a separation, so…no, they’re not dating.
I don’t know, I saw her pic used on the homepage for the article and my first thought was it was someone dressed up to play Casey Anthony in a biopic.
I can’t wait for the new season! The actor reminds me so much of Alexander Skarsgard (although not quite as good looking). As for Lisbeth…Rooney should have gotten the role…
She played “Little Dorrit” and is a great actress. I like her very much!
That is where I saw her! She was good in that.
Her style is seriously jacked in this photo.
I dunno, I like her.
matt is one weird looking fellow, a great actor though
Rooney was great as Salander. I don’t really understand why they’d make and English language dragon tattoo film without her.