‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ Arriving Early

Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig in The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig in ‘The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo’ (Photo © 2011 Columbia TriStar Marketing Group, Inc.)

Fans of Stieg Larsson’s bestselling book series will get to see the American version of the first book, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, a day earlier in theaters than expected. Sony just announced The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo starring Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara will open on December 20, 2011 at 7pm.

Worldwide Marketing and Distribution for Sony Pictures Jeff Blake made the announcement, stating, “This is one of the busiest times of the year for movie-going and we can’t wait to share this outstanding thriller with audiences all over the world. We feel that by opening for night-time shows on December 20th, fans of the book will be given the perfect opportunity to get a jump start on the release of an exceptional film.”

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was directed by David Fincher (The Social Network) and adapted for the screen by Steven Zaillian.

The Plot: Within the story’s labyrinth lie murder, corruption, family secrets and the inner demons of the two unexpected partners chasing the truth of a 40-year-old mystery. Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) is a financial reporter determined to restore his honor after being convicted of libel. Engaged by one of Sweden’s wealthiest industrialists, Henrik Vanger (Academy Award® nominee Christopher Plummer), to get to the bottom of the long-ago disappearance of his beloved niece, Harriet – murdered, Vanger believes, by a member of his large family – the journalist heads to a remote island on the frozen Swedish coast, unaware of what awaits him.

At the same time, Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara), an unusual but ingenious investigator with Milton Security, is hired to do a background check on Blomkvist, a job that ultimately leads to her joining Mikael in his investigation of who killed Harriet Vanger.

Though Lisbeth shields herself from a world that has repeatedly betrayed her, her hacking skills and single-minded focus become invaluable. While Mikael goes face-to-face with the tight-lipped Vangers, Lisbeth plies the wired shadows. They begin to trace a chain of homicides from the past into the present, forging a fragile strand of trust even as they are pulled into the most savage currents of modern crime.