Tag Archives: David Fincher

By Sean O’Connell
Hollywoodnews.com: Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy has attracted millions of readers, inspired a cinematic trilogy, and triggered a Hollywood remake directed by David Fincher (in theatres on Dec. 21). Up next? A graphic novel series.
DC Entertainment will release print and digital copies of books based on Larsson’s novels, according to THR. “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” the first in the series, will be released in 2012, with subsequent graphic novels coming out in 2013 (“The Girl Who Played With Fire”) and 2014 (“The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest”).
“The intricate characters and stories Larsson created in the Millennium Trilogy are a perfect match for the graphic novel format, where we can bring Lisbeth Salander to life in entirely new, visually compelling ways,” Dan DiDio, co-publishers of DC Entertainment, said in a statement. “It’s a distinct honor to work on a story that is already so popular with millions of readers around the world.”
We just don’t know who will be working on them just yet, as THR reports no writers or artists have been announced for the project. Perhaps more details will emerge from New York Comic-Con later this month.
“Stieg always liked comics and it will be exciting to see the unforgettable characters he created come to life on the comics page,” says Stieg’s brother Joakim Larsson.
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By Sean O’Connell
Hollywoodnews.com: Let the speculation begin.
Organizers at the New York Film Festival have revealed that a “work in progress from a master filmmaker” will screen Monday night, Oct. 10, at Avery Fisher Hall. The film “is due to be released in theaters this year,” which has Internet tongues wagging about what screening possibly could be. (Full release HERE)
The majority of commenters weighing in online hope that it’s David Fincher’s “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.” The auteur chose to world-premiere his “The Social Network” in New York last year, meaning there’s a pretty good chance that he’d bring his next film, due in theaters on Dec. 21, back to the fest. Sony also has done a decent job building up buzz by releasing an 8-minute teaser and a shorter, more-effective two-minute trailer for the anticipated adaptation. I have a hard time believing that the studio would reveal the Oscar hopeful on a Monday night in the middle of a festival, but with Fincher, you never know.
Stephen Daldry’s 9/11-themed “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” makes a ton of sense, seeing as how the subject matter would appeal directly to Gotham’s residents and the picture’s positioning itself for an Oscar run. But multiple Oscar trackers say Warner has denied that “Loud” will debut at NYFF, so we likely can rule that out.
Another possibility would be “The Iron Lady,” with Meryl Streep as Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, though I’m not sure Phyllida Lloyd (“Mamma Mia!”) qualifies as a “masterful” filmmaker just yet.
Other titles tossed out by speculators include Martin Scorsese’s 3D effort “Hugo,” and Jason Reitman’s “Young Adult.” My guess? Francis Ford Coppola could be bringing his work-in-progress “Twixt” to New York after stops in multiple film festivals all year. Coppola certainly qualifies as a “masterful” filmmaker, and “Twixt” is supposed to come out at some point later this year. That seems to make more sense for a Monday night screening. We’ll find out what it is soon enough. What are your thoughts?
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By Sean O’Connell
Hollywoodnews.com: Between the eight-minute sizzle reel and the international trailer, we have seen more than enough evidence to prove that David Fincher was the absolute right choice to helm “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.” The icy landscapes. The effectively unnerving score. Rooney Mara. All of Fincher’s choices appear to be working. Best that you just unplug from the Internet and experience the film cold (so to speak) when it opens in December.
Or, you could watch the new, two-minute trailer that just hit.

Not a ton of new footage, particularly if you caught the eight-minute feature. Just a solid job of setting up the story, with Daniel Craig recruiting Mara’s Lisbeth to solve a decades-old mystery.
The American “Tattoo,” adapted from the best-selling novels of Stieg Larsson, reaches theaters on Dec. 21.
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By Sean O’Connell
Hollywoodnews.com: A full-length trailer for David Fincher’s “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” arrived online, giving movie fans their first official glimpse at the director’s anticipated adaptation as it steamrolls toward its Dec. 21 release date.
The trailer arrives on the heels of an 8-minute feature Sony attached to select prints of “Straw Dogs” screenings and “Moneyball” previews over the past two weeks. This new clip is- half as long, but equally effective in setting up the story (and dark tone) for anyone who’s unfamiliar with either Stieg Larsson’s “Tattoo” novel or the Swedish adaptation that precedes Fincher’s work.
Here’s the trailer:

The trailer confirms what most of us expected, that Fincher’s the right choice for an American remake, and that Craig’s a suitable stand in for Michael Nyqvist as besmirched journalist Mikael Blomkvist.
The revelation is Rooney Mara, who’s tasked with stepping into Noomi Rapace’s shoes as Lisbeth. And from what I see in this trailer, she’s more than up to the challenge. Her short, chilly line deliveries are spectacular. They are as much a part of Fincher’s snowy backdrop as they are daggers to the picture’s heart.
Consider me on board for Fincher’s “Dragon Tattoo.” Now I’m wondering if a trilogy is possible if and when this movie take off over the holiday season.
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HollywoodNews.com: Obviously, the eight-minute preview for David Fincher’s The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is not online and probably won’t be at least until after the weekend. I do not know if it will be playing in theaters before theatrical prints of Straw Dogs or whether it was just something to get the film critics/pundits excited.
The footage is basically a primer for those completely unfamiliar with the franchise. We meet the main characters, we see Christopher Plummer lay out the primary mystery, and we get a look at our heroes in action, both when on the case and on their own time. First and foremost, let me just say that the footage looks absolutely breathtaking. While the pallette of choice is dark (think grey skies), there is a haunting and epic feel to the film that arguably surpasses its TV-movie of the week subject matter. But, it’s also the kind of specifically shot and grey-hued film that can look bloody awful when projected incorrectly. So unless I end up attending a press screening, I’m definitely forking out Arclight money for this one.
Having said that, the footage highlighted what I’d argue was a key problem with the original film. Namely, it’s not a very exciting or gripping story and it’s only the entertainment value provided by Lisbeth Salander that gives the film any juice. Rooney Mara certainly looks and acts the part, and I could easily see her scoring an Oscar nomination if the film breaks out. Her Salander comes off less like a standard ‘tough chick’ than a mentally scarred and fragile figure who happens to also be a computer genius who is able to defend herself when necessary.
But, other than her intriguing look and the somewhat unique nature of her character (plus hopefully strength of her Mara’s performance), the film is still a relatively cut-and-dry mystery picture. It looks absolutely beautiful, but I cannot help but think that having David Fincher remake this picture is a bit like asking Thomas Keller to cook a hot dog. Obviously, if you’re a fan of the original series, feel free to disagree and know that you’ll be in heaven come December 21st.
Photo by Sony Pictures
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By Sean O’Connell
Hollywoodnews.com: Those mysterious “Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” messages sent out to fans of the Twitter feed Mouth-Taped-Shut didn’t alert followers to sneak previews of David Fincher’s upcoming take on Stieg Larsson’s moody thriller … but they did tease an 8-minute preview that Sony wisely attached to screening prints of “Straw Dogs” in select markets.
Audience members settling in for Rod Lurie’s “Dogs,” which opens this Friday, were treated to a mega-trailer for Fincher’s “Tattoo,” which casts Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara in the December release.
Reaction has been over-the-top favorable so far, specifically for Trent Reznor’s score.
“The trailer is awesome,” writes Peter Sciretta on Slash Film. “While some two minute trailers completely ruin an entire movie, this 8-minute piece gives you enough to understand the story but not so much that you feel like you’ve seen it all. … The look and tone is very sterile yet moody. … The score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross feels unlike anything from Social Network.”
Alex Billington from FirstShowing added, “Suffice it to say, this was a hell of a trailer, and I wish I could see it again and share it with everyone (I can’t wait to hear Reznor’s full score, too).”
Word is the clip won’t be attached to “Straw Dogs” when it reaches theaters. This was a one time deal for audience members in lspecial cities, and it will be repeated tonight (Thursday night) in other markets including Miami, New York and Atlanta. I’m lobbying Sony hard to be able to run the clip on the site. It will have to get out eventually! Until then, be patient, Fincher fans. We’ll continue to track “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” as we approach its late December release.
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By Sean O’Connell
Hollywoodnews.com: Is David Fincher’s adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” finished and preparing to screen for test audiences Thursday night in several key markets across the country?
That’s what followers of the Twitter feed “Mouth Taped Shut” are being led to believe, as messages calling for RSVPs in such cities as Austin, New Orleans, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Chicago, Toronto and New York were posted late Tuesday night.
The feed is believed to be linked to Fincher’s upcoming thriller, which stars Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig in an American version of Larsson’s best-selling story. Over on its official Web site, MTS has posted a steady stream of behind-the-scenes “Dragon” photos and stories.
Minutes after the tweets, “Mouth” posted another message thanking fans for the “overwhelming interest,” stating that “all positions have been filled.”
Could Sony be advance screening Fincher’s December release in an effort to generate buzz? I reached out to my regional studio rep, who had no idea what the screenings were (and seemed extremely honest in the answer).
So if you are reading this, and happened to RSVP to one of the mysterious events, drop me a line and let me know what happens.
The rest of us will have to wait until Dec. 21, when Fincher’s film officially reaches theaters.
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HollywoodNews.com: When I said that I wanted The Lincoln Lawyer (based on one of five Mickey Haller novels penned by Michael Connelly) to become the first in a series, I was referring to a big-screen franchise. Still, the apparent choice of ABC and Lionsgate to turn the relatively successful Matthew McConaughey drama into a television series is a pretty smart one.
And frankly, as I find myself watching less and less network television, it is good to know that there will be at least one network drama I can attach myself to in the next couple years. Still, this feels like a missed opportunity. The film industry could use a franchise or two of this nature: R-rated, starring adults, intended for adults, etc. While I have no love for the original films or the marketing campaign thus far, I am indeed rooting for David Fincher’s The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo for just this reason. Without going into spoilers, things are definitely left open for an ongoing franchise at the conclusion of The Lincoln Lawyer. Most, if not all (that would be telling) of the major stars (which included McConaughey, William H. Macy, Bryan Cranston, Josh Lucas, and Marisa Tomei) are left in a position to return for a would-be sequel.
Point being, the world needs more quality adult genre films of this nature, and the defection of the franchise to television (where it will be just another legal drama) is a loss for those who still relish the idea of seeing this kind of melodrama on the big screen. As I said in my review, “Brad Furman’s picture plays like a high-class HBO pilot for the adventures of Los Angeles defense attorney Mick Haller.
But if that were true, I would gladly watch each and every episode.” So it apparently was, and I will still gladly watch each and every episode. But now that it’s actually going to television, I can’t help but feel that it is another slight blow big-studio adult genre fare. What do you think? Would you watch a Mickey Haller episodic series? Would you have preferred to see these on the big screen, or will you take it in whatever form it comes? Since we can presume that McConaughey and company will not be returning, who would you cast for the [...]

By Sean O’Connell
Hollywoodnews.com: When Stieg Larsson passed away in 2004, rumors started to swirl regarding an unfinished, fourth novel from his Millennium series that potentially was going to be published posthumously. Now, that plan is being scrapped.
“There’s the beginning of a fourth novel,” Eva Gabrielsson, Larsson’s longtime girlfriend, told BBC Radio 4 (via Digital Spy). “I would estimate it to be about 200 pages, given what I saw in late August during our last vacation, and given what I knew of Stieg’s workload in his last two months.”
But there apparently isn’t enough for the book to ever come together.
“Stieg was a spontaneous writer, he could write scenes and not knit them together until later on – he just liked the scene,” Gabrielsson elaborated. “You can’t call it a novel.”
And you couldn’t call it a screenplay, much to Hollywood’s dismay.
Even Paul Bogaards, Larsson’s publisher and senior VP of publicity at Alfred A. Knopf publishing house, admitted in January, “There is no fourth book from Stieg Larsson on the horizon.”
But there is a new movie directed by David Fincher due in theaters in December.
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By Sean O’Connell
Hollywoodnews.com: It sounds like the Academy police want to pull over Hollywood’s gravy train during the awards season … or, at the very least, get it to slow down and obey some new speed limits.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences is contemplating new restrictions on expensive pre-awards festivities aimed at Oscar voters. An insider tells THR that there will be “a tightening of the rules, no question” following a lavish season that saw fancy events held in honor of multiple films locked in a heated Oscar race last year.
“The complaints from members were up this year,” an Adademy source tells the trade. “It was looking like vote-buying, and nobody wants that.”
Certain studios found ways around the restrictions, as when Sony held a launch party for David Fincher’s “The Social Network” on DVD but (wisely) used it as an opportunity to lobby the film’s Oscar chances. Then there was the soiree Julia Roberts sponsored on behalf of Javier Bardem’s performance in “Biutiful” … which worked, as the actor landed a well-deserved nomination.
THR says it’s unclear at this point what restrictions will be put into place, and notes that the board of governors could vote on a proposal at its Aug. 2 meeting.
But the goal, according to the trade’s source, would be to “limit the number and kind of functions thrown in connection with a specific film (not including screenings), to lessen the impression that voters are being constantly lobbied.”
And yet, with the new rule eliminating a guaranteed 10 Best Picture nominees, one would think that studios will have to lobby Oscar voters even harder to ensure that their selected pictures get into the coveted Best Picture race. With the Oscars becoming more selective about which film they let in, and the Academy becoming more strict about how studios lobby the gatekeepers, this year’s Oscar race grows more interesting by the moment.
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