A fourth “Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” novel will be published on August 27.
Lisbeth Salander, the anti-social hacker-heroine created by deceased Swedish author Stieg Larsson, will make her next appearance in “That Which Does Not Kill,” a mystery involving artificial intelligence and a nefarious US spy agency. The sequel’s author, David Lagercrantz, based the upcoming book on an outline Larsson made for a fourth installment before his death in 2004.
Larsson’s Lisbeth Salander books have sold a total of 75 million copies worldwide. “That Which Does Not Kill” will arrive after legal wrangling between Larsson’s family and his girlfriend Eva Gabrielsson, the latter of whom claimed that the deceased author “would be furious” that someone else is picking up where he left off.
While Lisbeth’s literary future is certain, her cinematic career is less so. Actress Rooney Mara, who played the character in the 2011 movie, recently said of the “Dragon Tattoo” sequels, “I don’t think it’s going to happen. I’m sad never to do it again, but it just doesn’t seem like it’s in the cards.” Variety also conjectured that former Sony chair Amy Pascal’s departure from the studio would imperil the future of the franchise. But a blogger can hope, especially since Lisbeth has proven such a singular and compelling character — one that’s not just a cardboard cutout of a Strong Female Character but also intelligent, fiery, violent, sexually powerful, and morally ambivalent.
[via Yahoo!]
