The Girl in the Spider’s Web, the sequel to David Fincher’s 2011 thriller The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, is on track to hit theaters in 2018. Sony’s Columbia Pictures announced that the studio will adapt the fourth installment in the Millenium series without original stars Rooney Mara or Daniel Craig attached, making this both a sequel and a reboot.
Fede Alvarez, the director of Don’t Breathe, will take the reins on the new film, while Fincher will remain involved as an executive producer. Spider’s Web will also feature a brand new cast all around—Alvarez is reportedly already in talks with actresses to find the next Lisbeth Salander, who was played by Mara in the 2011 film.
“In all of contemporary literature, Lisbeth Salander is completely sui generis–probably one of the greatest female literary characters of all time in my view,” said Columbia Pictures president Sanford Panitch in a statement. “Modern punk defiance personified, she is unforgettable in every incarnation, truly one of the most compelling characters we’ve seen in recent years.” That’s a pretty tall order for a new actress to fill, especially since Mara, who has said she’d be open to reprising the role, was nominated for an Oscar for her performance as Salander.
The Girl in the Spider’s Web is a continuation of the Millenium trilogy and the only installment not written by the books’ creator Stieg Larsson, who died in 2004. Instead, David Lagercrantz penned the sequel, which was published in 2015, with support from Larsson’s estate. While the other three novels in the series were filmed in Swedish before Fincher made his version, Spider’s Web will be the first Lisbeth Salander book to get an English-language adaption first.
Sony never adapted Larsson’s second and third books (The Girl Who Played With Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest) reportedly because of financial complications around Craig’s involvement.
The Girl in the Spider’s Web will debut on Oct. 5, 2018.
