The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo 2: Is a sequel finally happening?

David Fincher’s 2011 thriller "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" was initially planned to be the acclaimed director’s first film trilogy. Known for his masterful works like "Se7en," "Zodiac," "Gone Girl," and "The Social Network," Fincher continues to deliver exceptional films, with his latest being "The Killer" starring Michael Fassbender in 2023. Despite the success of "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo," which featured Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, and Stellan Skarsgård, the anticipated sequels never materialized.

Fincher's Trilogy Plans

Upon the release of "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" in 2011, Fincher announced his intention to adapt the remaining two novels in Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy: "The Girl Who Played with Fire" and "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest”, as mentioned in a report by Screenrant. The plan was to expand on the first film and retain the lead actors, Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander and Daniel Craig as Mikael Blomkvist. This would have marked Fincher’s first venture into a movie trilogy.

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Box Office Performance and Sony’s Decision

Although "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" received critical acclaim and won the Academy Award for Best Achievement in Film Editing, its box office performance was not up to Sony’s expectations. The film grossed just under $240 million worldwide against a production budget of $90 million.

At that time, Daniel Craig was at the peak of his popularity due to his role as James Bond, and Fincher’s desire for a larger budget for the sequels further complicated matters. Consequently, Sony decided to halt Fincher’s franchise plans, deeming the investment too risky, as per the Screenrant report.

The Role of Fede Álvarez

In place of Fincher’s sequels, Sony turned to Fede Álvarez, an emerging horror director known for his successful low-budget films "Evil Dead" (2013) and "Don't Breathe" (2016). Álvarez was tasked with adapting "The Girl in the Spider's Web," the fourth book in the Millennium series and the first written by a new author. The production budget for Álvarez’s film was set at $43 million, significantly lower than what Fincher’s sequel would have required, as per the Screenrant report.

The Outcome of "The Girl in the Spider's Web"

Despite Sony's efforts to cut costs, "The Girl in the Spider's Web" did not perform well at the box office, earning only $35 million worldwide. In hindsight, the $240 million gross of Fincher’s "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" seems more impressive, especially considering today's box office standards. Sony’s decision to abandon Fincher’s vision and opt for a cost-effective alternative ultimately backfired.

Current Developments

Currently, Amazon is developing a "Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" series with showrunner Veena Sud, though Fincher is not involved in this project. Fincher’s original adaptation remains a highly regarded film, but the planned sequels never came to fruition due to financial and strategic decisions by Sony.

FAQs:

What is the story behind The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo?
Starring Daniel Craig as journalist Mikael Blomkvist and Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander, the film follows Blomkvist's investigation into the disappearance of a girl from a wealthy family who vanished 40 years ago. He enlists the help of Salander, a skilled computer hacker.

How many books are in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series?
Larsson intended the series to have 10 installments but completed only three before his sudden death in 2004. These three were published posthumously by Norstedts Förlag: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo in 2005, The Girl Who Played with Fire in 2006, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest in 2007.