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US Remake of Swedish 'Millenium Trilogy' in the Works at Sony

by Ethan Anderton
December 15, 2009
Source: indieWIRE

Last year it was the critically acclaimed vampire thriller Let the Right One In. And it looks like the Swedes are doing something right, as indieWIRE reports that the rights to Steig Larsson's Millennium Trilogy, which begins with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, have just been picked up by Sony for producer Scott Rudin and writer Steve Zailian to adapt. They'll be working from Stieg Larsson's books that were also adapted in Sweden. The story follows a once-respected financial journalist who is promised professional resurrection if he researches a mysterious disappearance that has been unsolved for nearly four decades.

Across the ocean in Europe, the first film in the series (renamed Men Who Hate Women) has apparently grossed over $100 million internationally, and the film hasn't even been released over here yet. The novels themselves have also found international acclaim selling over 20 million copies. It sounds like Rudin and Zailian are the right guys to take on this series which Anne Thompson describes as "sprawling, intelligent, well-plotted" with ideas "that dig into the intersection of journalism, business and politics." However, she also cites these strengths in the novel as difficulties for a film adaptation as they make it less commercially viable, not to mention the bisexual nature of the female protagonist, hacker detective Lisbeth Salender.

Being mostly unfamiliar with the Millennium Trilogy so far, the concept sounds intriguing to say the least. However, I must say, my predilection towards hating remakes of quality foreign films has me somewhat against this rapid movement to remake a film series that hasn't even seen a US release yet (not until next year from Sony Pictures Classics). However, I do realize this makes the series more appealing to audiences who think that the films are completely brand new, and technically not remakes. Anyway, we'll have to see who Rudin puts in the director's chair on these, and if anything else develops, we'll be sure to let you know.

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mary

The original "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" will be released by Music Box films, not Sony Pictures Classics. http://www.musicboxfilms.com/the-girl-with-the-dragon-tattoo
David

I have been waiting for a US company to buy the rights to this franchise. I am huge fan of the series and hope that they do a good job at making it a feature film. Also, "Men Who Hate Women" is the Swedish translated title, and "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" was the bastardized English title.
ryderup

Yeah, The original title is Män som hatar kvinnor = Men Who Hates Women. I'm from Sweden and is one of the few who has not read the books, thought the first film sort of sucked.
mattverny

what's this annoying american habit to remake every single movie ? Living in France I've had the privilege to see the movie in cinema and found it great, much more than I expected actually One of the forces of the original film is actually the Swedish setting. My point is there are so many stories that haven't been told yet, why waste time and money to tell twice the same, espacially when it has already been down with such talent ?
xnatasx

I'm Swedish. Read the 3 books, which are great! The first movie sucked. The second one was much better. Yeah, the original title of the first book should have been translated into: Men who hates women.
Sem

I loved the books and the films, Rapace played out the character sooo well! I'm actually afraid that they will throw out the good base line, and (to say it nicely) screw things up. They shouldn't remake a movie which is brilliant. And I'm actually sorry for the person who will play Salander. She'll have big, beautiful and fantastic shoes to fill, so to speak. But on the other hand I might just watch the trailer when it's on tv, just to see what they made of it.

jessy

well the role is played by rooney mara don't got a clue who it is but ive seen pictures and yea they deffenatly screw a briliant movie up. but then it is known the americans are to dumb to read subtitles. maybe because they can't read and they are just seeing dollar signs in the movies. what upsets me a lot. they wont do the books or movies good and they rlly put the official cast down by remaking it. its a shame but that is how americans think. if another country makes a great movie they just cant take it and need to screw it up and make there own one. hoping on succes altho that wont happen in europe we just love the original one the one with noomi rapace and the swedish cast .

jessy

i rlly do not get why the americans can't learn to read subtitles.... it is the same if u would make the movie jfk and let them all speak turkish or russian. what also would be stupid because in the usa they speak american not "english" maybe that is the problem why they do not understand subtitles.. ofc that if a movie is better in the original language of the country i mean the hole thing is round stockholm what is in sweden so ofc they speak swedish . i think it is just ignorance that they have to speak english/ american because some ppl are to dumb or to lazy to learn to read subtitles i rlly so hope it will fail and flop massively that would serv them i also would bet that the family of the to soon passed away stieg larsson arnt to happy bout it. ( tho they probbably been bought of with loads of money)

Rlly

Similar to the ignorance of people too dumb/lazy to type a proper response. Cmn...rlly?

Anders Hansen

Ive seen these movies a couple of times. They are truly the most horrid stories I've ever seen. The atrocious treatment of the female lead alone is almost unbearably realistically portrayed. I don't really see why the trilogy has gotten such overly positive reactions. Isn't there enough atrocities and violence in the world without us gorging ourselves on the ferocious ill-treatment of a young woman.

Amelia

I wonder why you even saw them more than once if you disliked them so muchh..

Anders Hansen

Yes, I suppose that could be contrued as being a bit strange and inconsistant. Sorry about that.