First pics of the American Lisbeth Salander. If you have to ask who she is, you're not a fan of the

[The Backlash Cometh]

genre.

http://www.wmagazine.com/celebrities/2011/02/rooney_mara_girl_with_the_dragon_tattoo_film?currentPage=1

Here's a larger shot

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/sns-ent-rooney-mara-dragon-tattoo-w-magazine,0,2850677.story

[EOTE]

1. I have to ask who she is.

Are you perhaps referring to Lisbeth Salander?

On edit: I see you've made the edit. She does look a hell of a lot like the actress who played Salander in the Swedish films. She really made all three of those movies, along with Michael Nyquist. I'll probably be skipping the American versions.

[The Backlash Cometh]

2. Naomi Rapache kicked ass!

She definitely convinced me she was a creature from another world. And one that still managed to get my sympathy.

I will look at the American adaption because I'm curious to see what they plan to do with it. The Swedish films had everything, including the lighting down pat.

Would you know if the American adaption will be in the same Swedish setting? Or do they plan to adapt the story to an American town?

[EOTE]

3. According to Wiki, it's going to have the same setting.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Girl_with_the_Dragon_Tattoo_%282011_film%29

And with the cast and other talent associated with the film, I'm sure it's going to be good, if not great. However, the films that already exist are damned near perfect, I see no reason in seeing a remake of a movie that just came out a couple years ago. For that same reason, I refused to see "Let Me In" this year, although I've heard from some people who have seen both that the American version is pretty good as well. I'm very hesitant to see remakes of already good or great movies. A while ago I heard that they're going to do an American version of the 2003 Korean film "Old Boy". My jaw dropped when I heard that. Not only is it a perfect movie to begin with, but I can't imagine it being told from an American perspective. Some things just don't need to be remade.

[ceile]

5. Agree about Old Boy.

Taratino I think bought the rights to it. I just can't picture a remake- nor do I want to. shiver.

[EOTE]

14. Neither can I.

Even if it rises to the level of great, it still won't be as good as the original. Are people so desperate to avoid subtitles that they'd accept an inferior movie when the original is perfect as it is? I'm not an elitist by any stretch. I even saw a lot of good in Lucas's reissues of his Starwars films. But remaking great films from just a few years ago seems really dumb, IMO.

[The Backlash Cometh]

8. Thanks for all the info.

I'll look up the other films. Shamed that my local Blockbuster closed down.

[EOTE]

11. Sure thing.

"Let the Right One In" is a great and sweet (and occasionally violent) tale of love between a little boy and a vampire. "Old Boy" has to be in my list of top 10 or perhaps even 5 films of all time. It's a revenge tale, but it's anything but typical. I had certainly never seen anything like it when I first saw it in 2004 on DVD. Although I'd love to gush about the movie some more, I feel you're best off knowing as little as possible about it when seeing it. If you like film (and don't get queasy terribly easy), you must see this one.

[The Backlash Cometh]

13. In, "Let the Right One in," was the boy called Oscar?

[EOTE]

15. Yep.

I believe it might have been spelled Oskar, but that sounds right to me.

[The Backlash Cometh]

16. What a great movie!

Loved it.

[ceile]

4. Sweden.

says they're filming in Stockholm.

[TheMightyFavog]

17. And will there be the same... ahem... interesting scenes?

I don't think the MPAA would take to kindly to an American re-creation of Lisbet's *ahem* creative revenge against the parole officer who raped her.

[jobycom]

20. I don't think the "revenge" will be as much a problem as the rape.

Yeah, maybe they'll skip a plug or two, but the gist will work.

The rape scene, though, is so un-Hollywood I shudder to think of how they'll do it. Hollywood loves the titillating rape scene, and there is nothing remotely sexy about the book's scene. The Swedish film manages to make the act look brutal and horrifying and uncomfortable--I saw it in a theater, and it was definitely more than most Americans viewers, even at an art house, were used to, judging by the squirming and tension of the audience. Will Fincher be able to do that?

Probably depends on whether he goes for the PG-13 rating.

[TheMightyFavog]

24. And then there was a certain scene from the second movie...

Yes, THAT scene. :evilgrin:

..Which I particularly enjoyed... :hide:

[distantearlywarning]

6. Wow. Good picture.

That's pretty much exactly how I pictured Lisbeth Salander in my mind when I read the books.

[ceile]

9. This doesn't bode well

"Fincher’s film departs dramatically from the book: Mikael Blomkvist is more gentlemanly, Salander (shown here on the motorcycle from the movie) is more aggressive—and the ending has been completely altered"

Read More http://www.wmagazine.com/celebrities/2011/02/rooney_mara_girl_with_the_dragon_tattoo_lisbeth_salander_ss#ixzz1B2oNRT4g

[The Backlash Cometh]

12. Great link!

[jobycom]

18. The Swedish movie altered the books, too.

Salander was pretty accurate, but Blomkvist was more of a goof. It worked well, largely because the actor was so charming at it. Key plot points in the book were dropped or combined--just about had to be, because the book had a tense but slow pacing. Also, the book was a bit eccentric, having the climax long before the end of the book, then having a second mini-climax mixed into the denouement. Plus, Blomkvist couldn't not sleep with any female in the book--the movie altered that somewhat to reduce subplots.

As for Salander being more aggressive, I'll have to see what they mean. She gets more aggressive in books two and three, but even in the first book her character was inwardly independent in a way that's hard to capture on screen with internal dialogue. Maybe an outward aggression makes that more obvious in the film? It's hard to be more aggressive than the taser-tattoo scene, or the gangster-bashing she does in the second book, so aggressive isn't exactly opposite to her character. In the first book you realize she is somewhat timid, but only because of her inward reactions. Outwardly she had the appearance of aggression, which is why she was under state care in the first place.

[northzax]

21. and not to mention (routine spoiler alert)

when's the last time you saw a violent anal rape scene at your local multiplex? without that scene, the books as written make no sense. with it, you have an X.

[jobycom]

23. It's been done.

Shawshank Redemption, American History X, at least.

[ceile]

7. I have no idea who that actress is.

She looks the part though...

[The Backlash Cometh]

10. Mara Rooney.

I'm surprised because I wondered how they were going to pull it off. She is very sweet looking in real life.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rooney_Mara

[jobycom]

19. Looks good, but it will all depend on the character.

What a role to land, though. Has to be one of the best heroines in recent fiction, and Daniel Craig was a good choice to play Blomkvist--I was afraid of Tom Hanks or Brad Pitt, both of whom are good actors, but neither of whom is right for the role.

I'm hesitant about this version because of how often Americans try to sex up successful foreign films, and because the Swedish films are so well done (though I still haven't seen the last one). I like the two main characters, and Christopher Plummer is exactly who I pictured as Henrik Vanger, and I mean the exact actor I pictured when I read it. Stellan Skarsgard is a perfect choice. After that, I get iffy. The director is one I would have picked, though I would have loved Alfonso Curran to get it. He has a non-conventional, experimental way of following a story that would mesh well with this book, but Fincher knows how to adapt complicated material, too, without being overwhelmed by it.

If they screw it up, at least we'll still have the Swedish films. :)

[tigereye]

22. she looks about right- don't know why they had to remake

the Swedish films though - they were fine. :shrug: