After putting off reading one of the year’s buzziest books for months, I finally finished devouring “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” last night and could not have been more pleased with the outcome. Now that I’ve gotten a good grasp on who Lisbeth Salander is and what makes her tick so fascinatingly, I can properly turn my gaze towards casting the American feature film.
I specify region because a Swedish version already came, saw and conquered — but according to actress Noomi Rapace, she will not be involved with the remake (or whatever you want to call it). That means a casting race hotter than the one for Bella Swan is on. And lots of names have been bandied about.
There are a couple I have big problems with — Natalie Portman (too cute), Scarlett Johansson (too sexy), Kristen Stewart (too her) and Ellen Page (too subtle) are all unacceptable suggestions. I understand the Keira Knightley speculation because she perfectly matches Lisbeth’s “thin as a stick” description, but KK doesn’t really have a track record of clicking with audiences outside of period pieces.
I think it’s interesting some are bandying Zoe Saldana’s name about, but I see her as too tough for the role. You have to believe that Lisbeth could be a victim and I don’t get that from Zoe. Obviously Carey Mulligan’s name is in the mix because it’s a young girl role and she’s the hot young girl of the moment. I wouldn’t boycott her selection, but think there’s a better lady no one’s really talking about: Kristen Bell.
Now, I know what you’re thinking — oh, here goes Jarett again with the Kristen-fatuation. But hear me out. Anyone who watched “Veronica Mars” knows that K. Bell is capable of crafting a very nuanced performance. A skill that none of her big screen work of late has called upon her to bring forth.
Also, unless Kristen shows Hollywood something new, she’ll have no choice but to languish in wretched romantic comedies until she’s driven back to television. It also doesn’t hurt that despite my constant prattling on about her, Kristen Bell isn’t (yet!) a household name/face. There would be no preconceived notions to color people’s perceptions of this Lisbeth incarnation.
Lastly, she fulfills the physical requirements perfectly — Salander is a slim 4′ 11″ while Bell is a teeny 5′ 1″ — so why not give this shorty a shot?
Who would you cast as Lisbeth Salander?
Photo: WireImage