‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ Casting for Lisbeth Salander Down to Four

Entertainment Weekly confirms that director David Fincher has narrowed casting choices for the highly coveted role of Lisbeth Salander in the Hollywood adaptation of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo down to four relatively unknown leading ladies.

Earlier in the casting process, some bigger name actresses were attached to the role, including Ellen Page, Mia Wasikowska, and Natalie Portman. Indeed, one source tells Entertainment Weekly that Fincher offered the part opposite Daniel Craig to Natalie Portman but she turned it down. Calls to Portman’s reps were not returned to Entertainment Weekly.

Now, however, the only four actresses left in the running are Rooney Mara, who recently finished working for Fincher on his upcoming film The Social Network; French actress Lea Seydoux, who appeared as Isabella of Angouleme in this year’s Robin Hood, as well as last year’s Inglourious Basterds; and two Australian actresses: Sarah Snook and Sophie Lowe. Snook recently starred in Julia Leigh’s erotic fairy tale Sleeping Beauty while Lowe is a more established actresses in her home country, appearing in a number of local productions, including Blessed and Blame. Fincher had also been pursuing South African singer/rapper Yo-Landi Vi$$er from the group Die Antwoord, but the artist isn’t interested in an acting career.

Fincher is supposed to begin shooting the film in the early fall and is likely to have his decision in the next week or so. Sony Pictures has already scheduled the movie for Dec. 21, 2011.