‘Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ readies Hollywood debut

NEW YORK – Hollywood’s first take on the bestselling Millennium trilogy, the blockbuster “Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” opens in the United States next week, starring Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara.

The film, directed by David Fincher, is the first US interpretation of a book series by Swedish writer Stieg Larsson that has captivated the world since its posthumous publication in 2005, a year after his death, selling 65 million copies in 46 countries.

Britain’s Craig, the latest actor to portray the classic spy character “James Bond,” plays magazine publisher in disgrace Mikael Blomkvist in the US version.

He is joined by young US actress Mara as talented hacker Lisbeth Salander. Mara’s powerful performance earned her a Golden Globe nomination for best actress in a drama this week.

“I had read all the three books and I had a real clear picture of who this girl was,” Mara said at a press conference in New York on Saturday,

The actress, who had small role in the Facebook movie “The Social Network,” also by Fincher, said the director gave her a long to-do list for the role.

“I have to become a smoker, to have piercings, to ride a motorcycle, just stuff like that,” she said.

Craig, for his part, said it was important for him to get away from what millions of Millennium readers have in mind about the story.

“The less you think about what other people think about, the more original you can be,” he said.

And the Hollywood remake is an “everybody wins” opportunity for Craig to allow even the biggest fans of the Millennium legacy to feel like they are discovering it for the first time.

Filmed in Stockholm and other parts of Sweden, as well as in Zurich, the film features extraordinary winter landscapes, recreating the atmosphere of isolation and mystery showcased in the novel.

As in Fincher’s “The Social Network,” the film’s eerie, pulsating score is brought by Trent Reznor, the leader of Nine Inch Nails, and Atticus Ross.

“This is one of the busiest times of the year for moviegoing and we can’t wait to share this outstanding thriller with audiences all over the world,” said Sony Pictures director of global marketing and distribution Jeff Blake.

The film is due for release Tuesday in the United States in a bid to get an early start on the competition. It goes on wide release in Britain on December 26, traditionally known as “Boxing Day” and a big time for cinema-goers. Global release is due in January for Europe, Australia and Latin America.

Swedish film versions of the three novels were released in 2009 to much world acclaim. They all starred Noomi Rapace as Salander and Michael Nyqvist as Blomkvist, who investigates an unresolved murder in northern Sweden.

Crusading journalist Larsson was 50 when he died of a heart attack in November 2004, shortly before his Millennium trilogy became the biggest global publishing phenomenon of the 21st century.