Monday, August 16, 2010
THE GIRL WHO SIGNED A THREE-PICTURE DEAL: After a search passing over various big names--Natalie Portman allegedly turned it down because of the nudity involved, Emma Watson allegedly cut her hair for it (and would have been an interesting choice), and Scarlett Johansson was rumored (though she would have been a horrible choice)--relative unknown Rooney Mara has landed the part of Lisbeth Salander in David Fincher's Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, arriving in theatres next holiday season. Mara's main credits thus far are playing the lead in this year's Nightmare on Elm Street remake and having a smallish (but apparently quite crucial) part in The Social Network. Mara was apparently Fincher's top choice from the beginning, and certainly looks the part (though is maybe a little too conventionally pretty for it). Credit to the studio for giving the critical role in what I'm sure they're hoping will be a huge franchise to someone who's not already a big name.
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I have mixed feelings about an American version of these books, but IF one is going to be made, I think an unknown as Lisbeth is the only way to go. Every single time I heard a name actress mentioned, all I could think was how WRONG all of them were. Mikael is a movie star part, hence the casting of Daniel Craig. Lisbeth isn't.
ReplyDeleteAmen...so glad it went to an unknown. I agree; it's a foreign film and should remain one. It makes Americans seem too lazy to read subtitles when they do this to a great film. I haven't seen the second film, but the first one was amazing and Lisbeth is one unique, kick-ass, dark, twisted character. She's hard to duplicate (still not sure why anyone needs to try to do so). I doubt I'll see the American version.
ReplyDelete[p.s., I'm not an intellectual snob at all...but I've seen some great foreign films in the past few years and I feel like subtitles almost lend themselves to the whole experience. You have to pay attention.]
Not having seen the original, I'm just inspired to say that I have such a combination of hope and "uh-oh" for the remake of Let The Right One In. The casting looks nice (the kids from The Road and Kick-Ass, plus Richard Jenkins and...um...Christopher's wife from The Sopranos), they're keeping the kids at the same age, but New Mexico?
ReplyDeleteI think I'm more "uh-oh" than hope, as unlike The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (which I liked but didn't love), I think Let the Right One In is a nearly perfect movie.
ReplyDeleteI think it's important to note here that the adaptations currently working their way to our indie houses are really just servicable. They're not brilliant films, just spot-on, often indifferent(albeit always faithful) adaptations of the books.
ReplyDeleteFincher will bring a fresh feel to a story that readers of the book will argue asked enough reading of them.
(that was a joke. ....see, because the books are really long and hard to... Oh, you got it. Sorry.)
I just watched it for the first time over the weekend, and it really is. Great work in casting those kids.
ReplyDeleteDragon Tattoo was pretty awesome. Fire comes out around here next weekend, and I've got the book on the nightstand so I can get it read before I go see the movie.
ReplyDeleteI probably won't see the English versions in theaters, but I'll bet the w will want to watch them once they hit Netflix.
I loved Dragon Tattoo. I thought Fire was okay, but not as good. I'm glad they cast an unknown - I was afraid that any of the big names that were being mentioned would be too distracting. I also like the other casting news I've heard ... Robin Wright Penn as Erika and Stellan Skarsgard as Martin Vanger.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read the Dragon Tattoo books, and don't care that much about the films, remakes or otherwise. But did you see that picture of Emma Watson in EW last week, with her new short haircut? Stunning.
ReplyDeleteI think the foreign adaptations have been merely serviceable, albeit faithful. They do the service to the book of telling its story without a lot of the white noise that is Millenium, but they fail to build all that much onto the franchise, art-wise.
ReplyDeleteFincher has such a great, stylized approach that I can see his Millenium films having merit well beyond the originals . As to the subtitle issue, if we're going because we've read the books, I think we've earned the right to stop reading already and let the story tell itself.
The remake scares me because I don't think they will have the balls to film the last scene, which is just terrifyingly perfect. I was afraid they'd skip over the "invite me in" scene, but the publicity photots seem to say otherwise.
ReplyDelete