The 2011 feature The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was intended to launch a film series based off the Millennium book series, which was created by Stieg Larsson and is now being written by David Lagercrantz. Had things gone according to plan, the next movie up would have been The Girl Who Played with Fire, but due to behind-the-scenes delays, that sequel was cancelled. Now the Millennium film series is picking back up again with The Girl in the Spider's Web, and it was announced today that Logan's Stephen Merchant and Black Widows' Synnøve Macody Lund have joined the adaptation's cast.
Rather than completely reboot the Millennium film series, The Girl in the Spider's Web will continue where The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo left off, albeit with a brand new cast. Stephen Merchant and Synnøve Macody Lund are the latest actors to be added to the group, though Variety didn't learn any details about who they will play. The Girl in the Spider's Web's cast also includes Claire Foy taking over from Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander, Sverrir Gudanson succeeding Daniel Craig as Mikael Blomqvist, Sylvia Hoeks as Camilla Salander, Lakeith Stansfield as Alona Casales, Claes Bang as the main villain and Cameron Britton as one of Lisbeth's "close associates."
Primarily known for his comedic works like The Office (the original one) and Extras, Stephen Merchant delved into drama last year when he played Caliban in Logan, Hugh Jackman's final outing as Wolverine. 2017 also saw him appearing in Table 19, and additionally, he was supposed to cameo in Beauty and the Beast, but his appearance was deleted. Merchant's other upcoming projects include Sherlock Gnomes and Fighting with My Family, the latter of which he also directed. As for Synnøve Macody Lund (who was originally a film critic and journalist), she's primarily known for her work on Nordic productions like the TV shows Black Widows and Acquitted, as well as the movie Haunted, so The Girl in the Spider's Web will introduce her to a lot of American moviegoers.
Directed by Don't Breathe's Fede Álvarez and written by Steven Knight, The Girl in the Spider's Web will follow Lisbeth Slander and Mikael Blomqvist as they get caught up in a web (get it?) of spies, cyber criminals (known collectively as The Spider Society) and corrupt government officials. Pretty standard really, given the adventures these two have had before on the printed page.
The Girl in the Spider's Web will be released in theaters on November 9 (putting it in competition with The Grinch that opening weekend), so keep checking back with CinemaBlend for more news about the project. You can also look through our 2018 release schedule to learn what other movies are coming out later this year.
