The Girl in the Spider’s Web Casts Stephen Merchant

The next chapter of the Lisbeth Salander saga The Girl in the Spider’s Web continues to add to its already impressive cast list, as it’s announced that Logan actor Stephen Merchant has also joined the movie. Most recently seen as Caliban in the ‘last’ Wolverine film alongside Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart, the versatile British performer will be playing a role in the spiritual sequel to The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.

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Due for release later this year, The Girl in the Spider’s Web is a reboot of the Millennium movie series, and completely recasts all previous roles from David Fincher’s 2011 US adaptation of Dragon Tattoo. It sees Claire Foy take on the multi-layered role of computer hacker Salander, while Sverrir Gudnason will be playing her sometime partner and ally Mikael Blomkvist. The film is currently still in production in Berlin and Stockholm, and being directed by Fede Alvarez (Don’t Breathe). The story is actually based on the fourth novel of the Millennium series, and is written by David Lagercrantz as opposed to the original creator of the characters, the late Stieg Larsson. The plot will see Salander face-off against a criminal organization called ‘The Spider Society’, which results in surprising revelations about her own family.

RELATED: THE GIRL IN THE SPIDER’S WEB PUSHED BACK 3 WEEKS

Variety broke the news that Merchant has officially joined the cast, along with Norwegian actress Synnøve Macody. Any details regarding the roles or characters they play have not yet been released. They join an impressive roster of talent including Lakeith Stanfield (Get Out) and Claes Bang (The Square) as the main villain. Blade Runner 2049 Big Bad Sylvia Hoeks will be playing the pivotal role of Salander’s evil sister.

girl dragon tattoo movie The Girl in the Spider’s Web Casts Stephen Merchant
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Merchant is primarily known for his comedic roles and collaborations with Ricky Gervais, with classic comedies like the original UK version of The Office. But as well as writing and acting, he also produces and does plenty of vocal work on animated films such as the upcoming Sherlock Gnomes. He also directs, with his next film being the much anticipated wrestling drama Fighting With My Family, which will feature Dwayne Johnson in a cameo and is based on the life of WWE wrestler Paige. While Merchant’s portrayal of the X-Man Caliban didn’t work for everybody, he is more than capable of straight dramatic roles and is unlikely to be simply comic relief in this film.

As the release date draws near for the film we have yet to see an official trailer, but Alvarez hasn’t produced a disappointing film so far and is an intriguing fit for the source material. Foy should also produce a great performance as the central character and is surrounded by a strong troupe of talent. Hopefully Merchant and Macody will add to that, and we can expect a worthy follow-up to Fincher’s movie. More news on The Girl in the Spider’s Web as we get it.