Fede Alvarez might direct Dragon Tattoo sequel The Girl in the Spider’s Web

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

In December of 2011, I was blown away by the David Fincher-helmed adaptation of Stieg Larsson's THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO and was left anticipating adaptations of Larsson's entire Millennium trilogy with Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander and Daniel Craig as Mikael Blomkvist. Unfortunately, the box office didn't reflect my enthusiasm for the film and Sony has been very sluggish about getting a follow-up off the ground.

Although the studio already paid an amount somewhere in the mid-seven figures for DRAGON TATTOO screenwriter Steven Zaillian to write an adaptation of the second book in Larsson's series, THE GIRL WHO PLAYED WITH FIRE, last year it was announced that Sony had hired Steven Knight to write an adaptation of THE GIRL IN THE SPIDER'S WEB, the fourth book in the literary series, which was written by David Lagercrantz and published in 2015. Apparently the idea is that SPIDER'S WEB would revive the series, then the studio would circle back for adaptations of PLAYED WITH FIRE and the third book, THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNETS' NEST.

Knight has since turned in his THE GIRL IN THE SPIDER'S WEB screenplay and Sony is now looking to fast track the project. Fincher is not expected to return, but the studio already has a replacement in mind: Fede Alvarez. It's a choice that makes a lot of sense, because Alvarez has demonstrated some dark sensibilities in both of the feature films he has helmed so far – EVIL DEAD 2013 and DON'T BREATHE. Both of which were Sony releases.

Here's the thing that bums me out about this whole situation – in an effort to keep down costs, Sony isn't expected to ask Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig back for any further GIRL movies. Mara has said that she wants to reprise the role of Salander, only last month saying that she's "open to it but not holding out hope anymore". Now a sequel is finally moving toward production. Give her more than hope. Bring her back, Sony!

When the SPIDER'S WEB news first came out, it was accompanied by the rumor that Alicia Vikander is the top choice to play Salander in the film. Nothing against Vikander, but I really want the stars of Fincher's DRAGON TATTOO back.

THE GIRL IN THE SPIDER'S WEB has the following synopsis:

She is the girl with the dragon tattoo — a genius hacker and uncompromising misfit. He is a crusading journalist whose championing of the truth often brings him to the brink of prosecution.

Late one night, Blomkvist receives a phone call from a source claiming to have information vital to the United States. The source has been in contact with a young female superhacker — a hacker resembling someone Blomkvist knows all too well. The implications are staggering. Blomkvist, in desperate need of a scoop for Millennium, turns to Salander for help. She, as usual, has her own agenda. The secret they are both chasing is at the center of a tangled web of spies, cybercriminals, and governments around the world, and someone is prepared to kill to protect it…