Courtesy of Variety comes the news that Sony Pictures has optioned the English-language screen rights to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo; I automatically curse because that’s one more book that needs to jump to the top of my “to read” list.
In fact, I’m actually a little angry to be covering this news today because this means that I have to summarize the plot; thank goodness deceased author Stieg Larsson’s website provides a very blissfully brief one:
Forty years ago, Harriet Vanger disappeared off the secluded island owned and inhabited by the powerful Vanger family. There was no corpse, no witnesses, no evidence. But her uncle, Henrik, is convinced that she was murdered by someone from her own deeply dysfunctional Vanger clan. Disgraced journalist Mikael Blomqvist is hired to investigate.
(My usual M.O. when reading a book or watching a movie is to know as little as possible before going into it so that I’m surprised. Yes, I know that makes going to the movies a little difficult, but considering that I underwent a near-media blackout for X-Men and was rewarded with awesomeness, I firmly stand by my method.)
Writing Michael Fleming notes that the deal hasn’t been finalized because there’s a bit of contention between Larsson’s parents and his longtime partner Eva Gabrielsson over the rights. If this isn’t a data point in an argument over why civil or common-law unions aren’t strong enough—even for heterosexual couples—I don’t know what is.
Despite not having a final deal, Steve Zaillian (American Gangster, Moneyball) has been approached to write the script. A Swedish-language film starring Michael Nyqvist (as Blomkvist) and Noomi Rapacehas (as hacker Lisbeth Salander) already been made, earning almost $100 million after its release last February. Music Box Films acquired the U.S. distribution rights; no word yet on if or when they’ll release it.
Mackan says:
Almost 100 million swedish crowns so its over 14 million dollars.
Also the original title of the book is “Män som hatar kvinnor” which translates into “Men that hate women” FYI
Pedantic Pete says:
“Disgraced journalist Mikael Blomqvist is hired to investigate.”
“A Swedish-language film starring Michael Nyqvist (as Blomkvist)”
Well, which is it? Blomqvist or Blomkvist?
TrishaLynn77 says:
Apparently it's written one way for the book and another for the movie, and that's not entirely unheard of.
gmcalpin says:
It's Blomqvist in the Swedish edition, at least, (and some European editions?) and Blomkvist in the US edition of the book — and now the movie as well.
Conqueror says:
I don't really know how I got into tattoos, but I guess outside influence must have given me the spark. I must have seen enough really cool tattoos to decide that I wanted one (or many). I was always relatively sheltered and lived in a small town with a pretty small tattoo scene and shared hosting so I wasn't around tattoos for the first 20-25 years. Once I discovered tattoos, however, I found that I really liked the artform and that I wanted to express myself through (other people's) designs on my body.