Sky has assembled a seriously impressive cast for its upcoming adaptation of ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo‘, with Jonathan Pryce, James D’Arcy, Lena Olin, Camille Cottin, Alun Armstrong, Jessica Raine and Paul Ready all joining the eight-part thriller. And with filming now underway in Sweden and Lithuania, we’re getting closer to seeing this new take on Stieg Larsson’s bestselling Millennium novels.
The new arrivals join previously announced leads David Oyelowo (Silo, Selma) as journalist Mikael Blomkvist and Viola Prettejohn (The Crown, The Testament of Ann Lee) as the brilliant but uncompromising hacker Lisbeth Salander.
The story follows Blomkvist, a once-celebrated journalist whose career has fallen apart, and Salander as they investigate the mysterious disappearance of Harriet Vanger, who vanished more than three decades ago from the secluded island home of one of Sweden’s most powerful industrial families.
As the unlikely investigative duo begin digging into the Vanger family’s past, they uncover decades of buried secrets, bitter rivalries and some rather unpleasant truths. And, naturally, the deeper they dig, the more dangerous things become.
An Impressive New Vanger Family
Leading the new additions is Jonathan Pryce (Slow Horses, The Two Popes) as Henrik Vanger, the wealthy patriarch at the centre of the mystery.
Joining him in the complicated Vanger family tree are James D’Arcy (Oppenheimer, VisionQuest) as Martin Vanger, Lena Olin (Nine Perfect Strangers, The Housewife) as Isabella Vanger, and Alun Armstrong (Breeders, The Choral) as Harald Vanger.
There’s also Jessica Raine (The Devil’s Hour, Two Weeks in August) as Cecilia Vanger, alongside Paul Ready (The Terror) as Birger Vanger.
Outside the family, Camille Cottin (Call My Agent!, Stillwater) takes on the role of Erika Berger, another significant character from Larsson’s original story.
And that’s just the beginning of the casting announcements!
The wider ensemble includes Ariyon Bakare (Mr Loverman, The Mosquito Coast) as Palmgren, Lee Ross (Andor) as DI Gustaf Morell, Steve Wall (Black Doves) as Otto Falk, Justin Salinger (Hijack, The Strays) as Bjurman, Allan Corduner (Homeland, Tár) as Dirch Frode, Rochenda Sandall (Amandaland, WAR) as Armansky, and Naomi Townsend (Going Dark) as Mimmi Wu.
With the mystery stretching back decades, we’ll also be meeting younger versions of several Vanger family members. Ingrid Keighley (Invasion) plays the young Harriet, Danny Horn (Doctor Who) portrays young Henrik, Lucy Brown (Primeval) plays young Isabella, Alastair Natkiel (Line of Duty) appears as young Harald, Ewan Labram (Dept Q) takes on young Martin, and Joseph Mason-Coombs (Lazarus) plays young Birger.
Rounding out the cast are Daniella Arthur-Kennedy (First Day on Earth) as Pernilla Blomkvist, Enzo Cilenti (Black Mirror, Kill Jackie) as Greger Beckman, Dónall Ó Héalaí (Hidden Assets) as Anders Ahlund, and Lochlann Ó Mearáin (The Rainmaker) as Gottfried.
A Modern Take On A Classic Thriller
Although ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ is based on the first novel in Larsson’s Millennium series, Sky isn’t simply recreating the story exactly as it appeared on the page.
Instead, the adaptation brings the mystery into the present day, retaining the central characters and investigative storyline while exploring how power, corruption, secrecy and misogyny have evolved in an increasingly connected digital world.
It’s an interesting approach, particularly for a story in which technology and hacking already played such an important role. The original novels have sold more than 100 million copies worldwide, and the characters have previously appeared in both Swedish and Hollywood film adaptations. This new version has eight episodes to explore the Vanger family’s dark history, rather than trying to squeeze everything into a feature film.
Meghan Lyvers, Managing Director, Scripted Originals at Sky, said:
“We’re thrilled to welcome such an extraordinary ensemble cast to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. The Vanger family, with its bitter rivalries and deeply buried secrets, sits at the heart of one of fiction’s most compelling mysteries, and our eight-part adaptation gives us the opportunity to explore this fascinating dynasty in greater depth than ever before. With our brilliant creative team, we’re creating a series that honours everything audiences love about the original story, while taking its characters, mystery and themes into a world that feels unmistakably of the moment.”
Behind The Scenes
The series comes from Left Bank Pictures, the production company behind The Crown and Dept Q, with an equally impressive team working behind the camera.
BAFTA-winning screenwriter Amanda Coe (Apple Tree Yard, The Trial of Christine Keeler) writes and executive produces alongside Steve Lightfoot (Behind Her Eyes, The Punisher) and Angela LaManna (The Haunting of Bly Manor, Behind Her Eyes).
Reinaldo Marcus Green (King Richard, Bob Marley: One Love) serves as lead director and executive producer, with Andrea Harkin (Time, The Trial of Christine Keeler) and Amy Neil (Hanna, Hostage) also directing episodes.
David Oyelowo is additionally serving as an executive producer, alongside Charlotte Moore and John Phillips for Left Bank Pictures, and Sam Hoyle for Sky. Nuala O’Leary is series producer.
Filming is now underway across Sweden and Lithuania, with Sony Pictures Television handling international distribution.
Given the popularity of the original books, the previous adaptations and the frankly ridiculous amount of acting talent involved, this is shaping up to be one of Sky’s more intriguing upcoming dramas. The big question is how successfully the writers can translate Larsson’s dark mystery into a modern setting without losing what made the original so compelling.
‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo‘ will premiere on Sky in the UK, with a date yet to be announced.
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