Daniel Craig has closed a deal with Sony Pictures to star in the second theatrical adaptation of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. He’ll play journalist Mikael Blomkvist per a report at Deadline.
Dragon Tattoo is the first in a three-part series of Swedish thriller novels by late author Stieg Larsson who unfortunately died before the books were published. The second and third parts, which Craig would also be in line to star in, are The Girl Who Played With Fire and The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets’ Nest.
Sony Pictures has yet to cast the other juicy lead, computer hacker Lisbeth Salander, who accompanies Blomkvist to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a young heiress. Deadline also reports contenders for the Salander role include Ellen Page (Inception), Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland), Emily Browning (Sucker Punch), Sara Snook (Sleeping Beauty), Rooney Mara (The Social Network) and Sophie Lowe (Blame).
For Craig this marks the third potential franchise he is now the centerpiece of. The actor is already shooting John Favreau’s Cowboys and Aliens that is full of franchise potential, and will return as James Bond if the MGM mess can ever be straightened out.
Sony will release The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo on December 21, 2011. The Swedish theatrical adaptation of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is currently available on Blu-ray at online retailer Amazon.com.
