Released in 2011, David Fincher's English-language remake of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo starring Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig was a critical success (earning Mara a Best Actress nomination) and solid box office hit, grossing $232.6 million worldwide on a $90 million budget. Though the film was based on the first book in a trilogy, the sequel has yet to come through the pipeline. Several rumors have come about over the course of the last five years, including the possibility of Sony continuing the series with a new cast and director.

For her part, Mara, who portrays protagonist Lisbeth Salander, has stated she is still on board for The Girl Who Played With Fire if it's ever green lit. But with development on the movie barely making any headway in half a decade, it's becoming less and less likely the works of Steig Larsson will be brought to the American big screens. That reality is starting to sink in for Mara, if her latest quotes on the matter are any indication.

In an interview with Screen Daily about her latest film Una, Mara was asked about the continuation of the Dragon Tattoo franchise. While Mara remains interested in returning, she isn't making any plans to reprise the role in the near future:

“Yes, I’m still open to it but I’m not holding out hope anymore.”

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This development may be disappointing to fans eager to see Mara play Lisbeth once more, but it's hardly the most surprising. At this point, it's safe to say Sony doesn't have a game plan ironed out (reports last year indicated the studio was eyeing Alicia Vikander to play Salander in a new film, contradicting Mara's earlier claims), so the principal players would be smart to adapt Mara's mentality. The actress has kept busy recently, appearing in numerous projects such as Her, Side Effects, Carol, Pan, and the aforementioned Una. She also has two movies in pre-production, Mary Magdalene and the musical drama Vox Lux. A talent like Mara is always in demand, and it's nice to see her showing her range in a variety of works.

With updates on the series few and far between, it's difficult to say if there will ever be another Dragon Tattoo film. Those involved with the first are convinced it will happen eventually, but there's been nothing to instill confidence in viewers. Even with Mara repeatedly expressing her desire to return, Sony has yet to bite. And with the schedules of Mara and Craig filling up (Craig is signed on for the TV series Purity and will star in Steven Soderbergh's Logan Lucky), the ship may have already sailed. The alternative is running with a new crew, but it's worth wondering if audiences would be interested in what amounts to a soft reboot for a franchise that never truly got off the ground.

It remains to be seen what will happen, but at least Mara is prepared for the worst case scenario. This situation is probably frustrating for her since she enjoyed playing the character, however, it's great she isn't hitching the future of her career to Dragon Tattoo and bypassing other offers as she waits it out. It would be a treat to see Mara's Lisbeth Salander again, but at least she got the opportunity to leave her mark once, and moviegoers were grateful for that.

We'll keep you updated on The Girl Who Played With Fire as more information becomes available.

Source: Screen Daily