Adapted from the first part of Stieg Larsson’s “Millenium Series” involving the publisher of a magazine hired by the CEO of a company to solve the mysterious disappearance of his 16-year-old niece forty years earlier with the help of a young computer hacker who had been suffering from sexual abuse by her guardian. (Note: This is the Swedish adaptation of the film; Sony is planning an English language remake written by Steve Zallian as well.)
Forty years ago, Harriet Vanger disappeared from a family gathering on the island owned and inhabited by the powerful Vanger clan. Her body was never found, yet her uncle is convinced it was murder and that the killer is a member of his own tightly knit but dysfunctional family. He employs disgraced financial journalist Mikael Blomkvist and the tattooed, ruthless computer hacker Lisbeth Salander to investigate. When the pair link Harriet’s disappearance to a number of grotesque murders from almost forty years ago, they begin to unravel a dark and appalling family history. But the Vanger’s are a secretive clan, and Blomkvist and Salander are about to find out just how far they are prepared to go to protect themselves.
Millennium is based on the trilogy of books by Stieg Larsson and has sold over 21 million copies worldwide. Tragically, Larsson did not live to see the phenomenon his work has become as he died suddenly in 2004 soon after delivering the manuscripts to his Swedish publisher.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Swedish: Män som hatar kvinnor, literally “Men who hate women”) is a 2009 Swedish drama thriller film based on the novel of the same name by Swedish author/journalist Stieg Larsson. It is the first book in the trilogy known as the Millennium series, published in Sweden in 2005. By August 2009, it had been sold to 25 countries outside Scandinavia and had been seen by more than 6 million people in the countries where it was already released. Directed by Niels Arden Oplev, the film stars Michael Nyqvist and Noomi Rapace. The film grossed more than $10 million in North America in a limited release of 202 theatres. The total gross worldwide is $104,617,430.
Director’s statement
Many people have asked me, if I felt honoured to be chosen to direct the feature film ”Men Who Hate Women” based on the first book in the Millennium trilogy of Stieg Larsson,. The truth is: When the producer Soren Staermose asked me the first time, I said no. I had heard of the books, but hadn’t read them. Furthermore, I didn’t have the time and intention to do a thriller for the cinema.
Soren came back half a year later and asked me again. The production time had been pushed and he was very enthusiastic about me doing the film. So I read the book, it was very intriguing but I didn’t see it as a thriller. I saw it more as a mystery drama with strong and special characters, who develop through out the story. I really connected with this material, Lisbeth being a dark rebel and Blomkvist a leftist watchdog.
I told Soren, that I would do the film, but only if I had artistic control over cast, script, length, final cut etc. Having this control, I saw as the only way for me to do a successful film based on such a popular book. That I had the sovereignty to make every decision being about doing the best possible film.
I wanted a film with strong emotions, strong characters and a controversial and intriguing story. This is my trademark already and this book had it all. The visual style and production design had to show a big and special film. And I wanted all the small clues and details in Larsson’s book to be there – old still photos, which makes Harriet come alive, old footages from the bridge accident, Lisbeth having a photographic memory etc. And I would like the film to keep the edge, that the book has. That it dares to show the dark side of society.
I asked two of the best writers in Scandinavian Rasmus Heisterberg and Nikolaj Arcel, to write the script for me. Together we dissected the book and plotted out the storyline. Rasmus and Nikolaj then wrote like crazy. The time left before the start of shooting was already short.
It took the caster Tusse Lande and I months to cast the film – I am hysterical with finding the right actor for the characters. There must be a special connection between the actor and the character. The actors must have the shine of the character. The Swedish star actor Michael Nyqvist present us with the humanity, empathy and heavyweight intellectualism, which we expect from his character Michael Blomkvist. And he does this so well, that we are captured in excitement all the way though the story.
Lisbeth Salander is possibly the character in modern Scandinavian drama with the most expectations attached, and I can’t believe the luck we have had in finding Noomi Rapace for this part. Noomi has transformed herself into her character to a chilling perfection. Her performance as Lisbeth is outstanding.
I talked cinema photographer Eric Kress and production designer Niels Sejer into travelling to Sweden to do this film under hectic conditions. A decision, I did not regret at any moment. They have raised the bar for this film, giving the art department work amazing details and the images a dark exciting feel.
The prep time was short and early on it became clear to me, that we needed a miracle to bring the film home on time and budget. At that time the Swedish crew came on board, a team that was determined to make a quality film even if it took long days and hard work under tough conditions. And man, did they deliver. As did the whole ensemble of actors. The feeling of the set was, that every shooting day was a battle for quality. A battle we were determined to win. And now, that the film is nearly finished, I know we did…
Quick Facts
— More than 21 million copies of the Millennium trilogy now sold throughout the World!!
— “Men Who Hate Women” was the Best Selling Book in the EU of 2008
— Stieg Larsson was the second best selling author worldwide of 2008 (Khaled Hosseini author of “The Kite Runner” came first)
Continue Reading and View the Theatrical Trailer
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2010)
Directed by: Niels Arden Oplev
Starring: Michael Nyqvis, Noomi Rapace, Lena Endre, Peter Haber, Sven-Bertil Taube, Peter Andersson, Ingvar Hirdwall, Marika Lagercrantz, Björn Granath, Ewa Fröling, Annika Hallin, Sofia Ledarp
Screenplay by: Nikolaj Arcel, Rasmus Heisterberg
Production Design by: Niels Sejer
Cinematography by: Eric Kress
Film Editing by: Anne Østerud
Costume Design by: Cilla Rörby
Music by: Jacob Groth
MPAA Rating: R for disturbing violent content including rape, grisly images, sexual material, nudity and language .
Distributed by: Music Box Films
Release Date: March 19, 2010