Yesterday we got wind of the news that David Fincher's remake of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo may end up being R-rated. In my eyes this is essential in making a faithful and quality adaptation of both the source novel and original Swedish-language movie.

We heard a little while ago that Daniel Craig was in talks (reportedly even close to signing a deal) to star as the film's protagonist, investigative journalist Mikael Blomkvist. Also, we've been hearing for quite a while that a lot of actresses are circling the titular role of a savvy and rebellious hacker who helps Blomkvist with his investigation.

In an update to the the casting news, Variety is reporting that Craig is still in talks with Sony to play one of the two main characters, despite it being six weeks since word of his involvement surfaced.

However, Deadline has an update to the story which suggests that Craig might not end up starring because of scheduling/contractual issues with both the in-limbo Bond 23 and Jon Favreau's sci-fi/western, Cowboys & Aliens. The latter film started shooting this month and Dragon Tattoo starts shooting in October. That might be cutting things a bit close, considering how big of a film Cowboys & Aliens is.

I really hope Craig does end up starring in Dragon Tattoo. I think he's got the right charisma and look about him for the role of Mikael Blomkvist. Just look at the picture above comparing him to the original actor, Michael Nyqvist. Like two peas in a pod! :-P

On top of the role of Blomkvist, there's also the other key role of hacker and investigator Lisbeth Salander to fill. According to Sony co-Chairman Amy Pascal, the role in the remake is highly sought after, which is evident from the number of actresses that appear to be interested in the role.

So far we've heard of the likes of Keira Knightley, Carey Mulligan and Ellen Page. But Deadline reports that they're not the only ones circling the role, as actresses like Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland), Emily Browning (Sucker Punch), Sara Snook (Sleeping Beauty), Rooney Mara (A Nightmare on Elm Street) and Sophie Lowe (Blame) are also now in the running. Some of the actresses have sent in tapes to director David Fincher, while others will test for the role soon.

Despite all these known names being thrown around, Variety reports that the role will more than likely go to an unknown. Would that be a better choice - allowing an unknown to be catapulted to stardom by this remake, which Sony is hoping will launch a successful franchise?

The process for finding the actress is said to be similar to the way Sony searched for their new Spider-Man, which, as we all know, ended up being Andrew Garfield. One interesting thing to note is that Fincher is supposedly telling actresses to work on their Swedish accents, which is unusual considering that up until this point it was assumed that the remake would be completely Americanized.

If they're going to keep the look of Lisbeth the same as in the original film and book (which I very much hope they do), they need to get an actress who looks (or at least can play) tough and isn't just a pretty face to slap onto the posters. I personally would like to see Ellen Page get the role: she's a great actress, can be tough and/or gritty when she wants to be (see Hard Candy and Mouth to Mouth) and brings name recognition with her.

Finally on the Dragon Tattoo front - despite not having the two leads in place yet - Sony has set an official release date for the remake: December 21st, 2011, confirming previous reports that it would be a holiday season release. Christmas releases usually do well at the box office and hopefully Dragon Tattoo won't change that fact.

Would you like to see Daniel Craig star in this remake and who would be your choice to play the titular tattooed girl?

Since The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo starts shooting in a couple of months, you can expect to hear casting announcements pretty soon. Be sure to check back at Screen Rant for those and any other details about the remake.

Source: Variety and Deadline