Rooney Mara has her Harry Potter role, ie., the role that will lead to international stardom. She was chosen to play Lisbeth Salander in the U.S. adaptation of the acclaimed Millennium trilogy by Swedish author Stieg Larsson. The first film will be The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
Mara is reported to have been director David Fincher’s first choice. She just finished working with him on The Social Network.
Deadline New York reports this selection ended "one of the most drawn out and closely watched casting searches for an actress in years." The deal gives her an option for two other films, The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest.
Mara joins a strong cast, including Daniel Craig who will portray investigative journalist Mikael Blomkvist. He is part-owner of Millennium magazine and becomes Salander’s unlikely partner in crime.
So who is Rooney Mara? She is the sister of Brokeback Mountain‘s Kate Mara and the great granddaughter of New York Giants football team founder Wellington Mara and Pittsburgh Steelers founder Art Rooney. She has already appeared in A Nightmare on Elm Street and Youth in Revolt.
Filming starts in Sweden this fall and the film should hit theatres on December 21, 2011.