The frenzy over who will play Lisbeth Salander in the US remake of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo now rivals the anticipation over who joins JLo on next season’s American Idol judging panel. A decision (on Lisbeth Salander) is expected this week and multiple reports indicate that Director David Fincher has narrowed the field to four finalists.
And the final four are:
Rooney Mara
Sarah Snook
Lea Seydoux
Sophie Lowe
Huh? Most people don’t know any of these actresses. That’s OK. Casting unknowns in plum roles is always exciting, filled with possibility and risk. Better known contenders, like Natalie Portman, Kristen Stewart, Ellen Page, Carey Mulligan and Scarlett Johansson were reportedly considered. Some may have dropped out on their own, others cut by Fincher. Mia Wasikowska (Alice In Wonderland, The Kids Are All Right) is another actress who received mention for the part, as is Emily Browning (who may arrive big time next year in Zack Snyder’s Sucker Punch).
But if news reports are to be believed (a questionable proposition, I know) we are down to four relative unknowns. Of course, there’s no guarantee the film will be a success, commercially or artistically, and the lucky actress could be forgotten or worse shortly after the film is released on 21 December 2011 (that’s 2011!, more than 16 months away). But with Fincher at the helm, and Daniel Craig playing Mikael Blomkvist, the odds seem relatively good the film will succeed . . . as long as the new Lisbeth Salander does for the US remake what Noomi Rapace did for the original Swedish version of the film.
Big shoes to fill and lots of pressure. Opportunity and risk. The American (Swedish) way.
