If Daniel Craig played any part in your decision to plunk down $12.99 to see The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo when it came out in 2011, you might not be too happy when the sequel hits screens.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Craig, bolstered by the box-office haul of his most recent Bond adventure, Skyfall, is looking for a pay hike if he’s to return for The Girl Who Played With Fire.
But apparently, producers at Sony are looking to keep costs down after the first film’s lukewarm box-office results, and are considering writing Craig’s character out of the sequel if he insists on a raise (Sources close to Craig say negotiations haven’t even started and that the actor wants to return to the role).
If you’ve read the books, you already know that Craig’s journalist character Mikael Blomkvist is not the focal point of The Girl Who Played With Fire or The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest. The ensuing instalments of Stieg Larsson’s Millennium series revolve around hacker Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara).
Steven Zaillian’s script has already been written (with Blomkvist present), and director David Fincher is eyeing the Dragon Tattoo sequel as his next film.
But Craig’s co-star, Rooney Mara, says reports that Blomkvist will not return for The Girl Who Played With Fire are without merit.
“I don’t know where that rumour was started — but it would never be a possibility,” Mara told MTV about talk of Craig’s exit. “He wouldn’t be written out.”
What do you think Millennium fans, does Lisbeth’s cinematic story really need Mikael? Let us know in the comments.
