Could Daniel Craig Become a Liability to ‘Girl With the Dragon Tattoo’?
The American remake of "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" opens in just under three months, and while it's a high-profile event picture with a great trailer, commercially it's no slam-dunk. Sure, the Stieg Larsson books are popular, and director David Fincher is coming off "The Social Network," but this is a really dark thriller opening during a crowded holiday season. So having a big star sure helps. The problem is, that person's supposed to be Daniel Craig, and we're starting to worry that he may not be as big a star as we (and certainly Sony) thought.
Don't get us wrong: The man's James Bond, instrumental in helping to reboot a franchise that still made money but nobody took seriously anymore. "Casino Royale" changed that. But beyond that film and its not-so-great sequel, "Quantum of Solace," his track record remains a bit iffy of late. "The Invasion" was a bomb. "The Golden Compass" was perceived to be a bomb but actually did really well overseas. "Defiance" was an award-seeker that came up empty. Now you come to this year. "Cowboys & Aliens" will probably cross $100 million, but the expectations were that it would do far better. As for "Dream House" ... well ... there's a very good chance it could sink like a stone this weekend. We know people like Craig as Bond. But do they like Craig as anybody else?
That's the question Sony is going to have to face as they promote "Dragon Tattoo," which recently got a lavish profile in the new issue of Empire. Some have complained that the advertizing has thus far made Rooney Mara's Lisbeth Salander character secondary or subservient to Craig's Mikael Blomkvist. Personally, we see that more of a question of star power than sexism: People know who Craig is, and they don't really know who Mara is. But that may end up being a double-edged sword for Sony. People recognize Craig, but if "Dream House" tanks it'll be yet another non-Bond film audiences haven't exactly flocked to see. Maybe it's time for Sony to let us get to know the girl in "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" a little better.
Rooney Mara & Daniel Craig Shotgun Smoke In New Pics From 'The Girl From The Dragon Tattoo' [The Playlist]
