Claire Foymay be headed for quite the makeover. TheWolf HallandSeason of the Witchactress had a breakout year in 2016 after starring as Queen Elizabeth in the Netflix seriesThe Crown, earning a Golden Globe and a SAG award, but it looks like Foy is going from royalty to goth-punk vigilante forFede Alvarez’sThe Girl in the Spider’s Web.
Varietyreports that Foy is the top pick to take on the role of the hacker/investigator Lisbeth Salander, a coveted role that sent the studio on the widespread hunt for the right leading lady. Dozens of actresses were seen for the part, and the finalists reportedly came down toFelicity Jonesand Foy, who landed the offer. However, there’s one hiccup that could cause a breakdown in the deal. Foy is also in consideration to play the female lead inDamien Chazelle’s Neil Armstrong biopicFirst ManalongsideRyan Gosling. Per the report, no offer has been made for that role and there are other actresses in the mix but Foy is high up on Universal’s list of interested talent. Should that offer come, Foy may find herself in the position to chose between a starring role in a potential franchise starter, or aligning herself with a likely awards contender from Chazelle, who directed his last leading lady to the Best Actress Oscar.
No doubt, Salander is a tremendous role and an enormous opportunity for any actress.Noomi Rapaceplayed the character in the original Swedish adaptation, launching her to international fame.Rooney Maratook over in the role forDavid Fincher’s English Language remake, earning an Oscar nomination for her performance. Next up, the studio is looking to cast the character of Mikael Blomkvist, played byDaniel Craigin the 2011 film. Variety notes that the studio is expected to target someone with Craig’s starpower, though screenwriterSteven Knightpreviously told usBlomkvist has a smaller role in this film.
Based on the new novel byDavid Lagercrantz, who took over theGirl with the Dragon Tattoonovels after series creatorStieg Larsondied in 2004,The Girl in the Spider’s Webcomes from a scriptKnight (Eastern Promises),Alvarez, andJay Basu. The novel follows Salander through another investigative team-up with Mikael Blomkvist when they uncover a web of government spies and cyber criminals with deadly stakes.
Here’s the full synopsis forThe Girl in the Spider’s Web(viaAmazon):
A genius hacker who has always been an outsider. A journalist with a penchant for danger. She is Lisbeth Salander, the girl with the dragon tattoo. He is Mikael Blomkvist, crusading editor ofMillennium. One night, Blomkvist receives a call from a source who claims to have been given information vital to the United States by a young female hacker. Blomkvist, always on the lookout for a story, reaches out to Salander for help. She, as usual, has plans of her own. Together they are drawn into a ruthless underworld of spies, cybercriminals, and government operatives—some willing to kill to protect their secrets.
