14 DAY TRIAL // Rooney Mara is Lisbeth Salander in the upcoming, much hyped “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” based on the best-selling novel of the same name by Stieg Larsson. W Magazine, the movie issue, has a first look at her in character.
As any respectable thriller fan will know, there’s already a movie on the novel – in December 2011, the Hollywood version comes out too, and it stars Mara as the troubled and brilliant Salander.
The Movie Issue of W has her on the cover, in nothing but a leather jacket that she’s opening up to reveal her chest tattoo: Salander, her character’s name in the film.
She’s also got a lot of facial piercings, a funky dark hairdo and bloody hands. Inside the magazine, there’s another shot of Mara as Lisbeth, this time getting a tattoo on her thigh, while her slender body is on full display.
Lisbeth was previously played by Noomi Rapace and she did such a wonderful job in the 2009 film, many wondered whether relative newcomer Mara had what it took to fill her shoes.
Judging by the photos alone, Mara is a perfect match for the part. Gone is her trademark sweet smile and gone are her long locks – to be replaced by Lisbeth’s fierce do and aggressive stance.
Speaking of the auditions she had to give for the part, Mara says it wasn’t an easy process.
“They shot me in the subway in LA in full hair and makeup with a motorcycle. Everyday they had a new request,” the actress says.
“On a Monday morning, [director David Fincher] called me in, and I said, ‘what do you want me to do with my hair now?’ I was at the end of my rope. He told me I had the part. I hadn’t even read the script yet,” she admits.
Fincher, in his turn, says he knew from the start Mara was the one for the part, but he just needed to see she fit the bill in every regard.
“I wanted her from the beginning. Rooney maybe a trust-fund baby from football royalty but she’s level headed and hard working. It’s so odd how who people are comes out in auditions. We didn’t make it easy for Rooney and there was no way to dissuade her,” the director says for the same magazine.
Rooney Mara’s credits include more recently “The Social Network” and “Nightmare on Elm Street.” “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” also stars Daniel Craig, Stellan Skarsgård and Robin Wright.