New Lisbeth Salander Movie Set For Release in 2018

CULVER CITY, CA -- Another Lisbeth Salander novel will be adapted for the big screen, with "The Girl in the Spider's Web" set for release Oct. 5, 2018, Sony Pictures Entertainment announced Monday.

The film will be directed by Fede Alvarez, who directed the 2016 thriller "Don't Breathe." Alvarez will be joined in writing the screenplay by Steven Knight and Jay Basu.

"Fede is an amazing director with a unique vision of the world," Columbia Pictures President Sanford Panitch said. "In particular, his talent and skill in creating psychological intensity will bring Lisbeth Salander back into popular movie culture with a roar."

Principal photography is set to begin in September.

A global search will be undertaken to find the actress to play Salander.

"The Girl in the Spider's Web" will be the first book in the best- selling series created by Stieg Larsson to be produced into an English-language film in its initial adaptation.

The previous books were adapted into Swedish-language films, and "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" was a remake of the Swedish film.

"The Girl in the Spider's Web" will have an entirely new cast.

The announcement was made at the London Book Fair.

"In all of contemporary literature, Lisbeth Salander is completely sui generis -- probably one of the greatest female literary characters of all time in my view," Panitch said.

"Modern punk defiance personified, she is unforgettable in every incarnation, truly one of the most compelling characters we've seen in recent years."

-- City News Service, photo via Shutterstock