The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo Is Getting A TV Show That Fans Might Have A Problem With

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Rooney Mara Lisbeth Salander
(Image credit: Columbia TriStar)
(Image credit: Columbia TriStar)

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is joining a slew of other TV projects based on books, not too long after the news that Percy Jackson is getting one. There is just one little thing. Fans of Stieg Larsson's novels might have a problem with it. First things first, though, where is this show happening, and why may fans be upset?

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is on its way back to the screen, and it will not be the silver one this time around. Variety reports that Amazon is developing a series based on the books and movies’ central protagonist: Lisbeth Salander. Instead of being based on the books or films, this series will go in a different direction.

Amazon’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series will follow Lisbeth Salander, but in an entirely new setting, surrounded by new characters, and featured in a new story. The project is apparently in its infancy as neither a writer nor a lead actress has been located. Time will tell who becomes the third actress to step into the role.

Of course, diehard fans of the books and the movie adaptations may be miffed by the TV show featuring no pre-ordained canon. It sounds like the plan is for the series to distance itself, striking out on its own with a total shakeup. Will this Lisbeth Salander still have her signature goth style? Stay tuned.

Stieg Larsson’s novels are once again getting the TV treatment after first giving rise to the Swedish-language movies starring Noomi Rapace as the heroine, Lisbeth Salander. Word of a TV show at Amazon comes after two English-language films, each starring a different actress in the central role. Rooney Mara played Salander in the first movie, which came out in 2011.

Directed by David Fincher, Rooney Mara earned an Oscar nomination for her performance. Despite her success, Mara was not chosen to continue on in the part when The Girl in the Spider’s Web came about years later. It was released in 2018 with The Crown’s Claire Foy taking over as Lisbeth Salander.

Fast forward two years to 2020, and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is making yet another comeback. News of the new TV show comes after Noomi Rapace starred in the second season of Amazon’s Jack Ryan. It is also worth noting that Rapace’s version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is currently available to stream on Prime Video.

It would seem that Amazon has a lot going on in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo department. On that note, Amazon is arguably still seeking its big watercooler show. Jack Ryan has undoubtedly been a success as the streamer awaits the arrival of its Lord of the Rings TV series. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo entering the TV fray could see any number of results.

The books have gotten two English-language films that have seemingly not done well enough to earn an immediate sequel or follow-up. Of course, Stieg Larsson’s novel series could go the way of the John Krasinski-led Jack Ryan, finding success in television form that it was not able to find in its latest film outing to-date.

The original Girl with the Dragon Tattoo movies are currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video. While you wait to see how things turn out with this new TV show, check out the ones already coming to fruition as this summer’s premieres.

Britt Lawrence

Like a contented Hallmark movie character, Britt happily lives in the same city she grew up in. Along with movies and television, she is passionate about competitive figure skating. She has been writing about entertainment for 5 years, and as you may suspect, still finds it as entertaining to do as when she began.