Some consider news like this bad, another delayed release date for an anticipated movie. I however, do not when the circumstances are as follows: A source told EW Screenwriter Steve Zaillian (who also wrote the first) is still working on the script, and production will not move forward until the script is nailed down. While of course I crave the follow up to The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, a film I absolutely loved, I want the next chapter to be as good as the first. This type of continued perfection requires the slow process of pre-production, writing and then re-writing, and even then re-writing the script. It is so important to get all the pieces lined up before diving into production. So news like this is welcome to my ears. The people at Sony and MGM again want to get this formula right.

Earlier this year Sony and MGM reported the sequel was on track to be in theaters late in 2013. This was a small surprise considering The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo underperformed at the box office and Sony reported a ‘modest’ loss on the film. A film that takes a loss, even a small one, usually doesn’t get a sequel. But obviously the Millenium Trilogy is different — the books and Swedish films were huge successes, and critically, so was the American version of the first chapter. Seriously, if you still haven’t seen the 2011 The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, trust me, you need to see that film. Like, now.

In a business like Hollywood, it’s great to hear the studios not only green-lit the sequel, but it’s even better they are delaying a tentative 2013 release to ‘nail down the script.’ Zaillian really ‘nailed’ the first script finding all the right inclusions and exclusions for his version of the Swedish film/book — giving him time to work out the sequel cannot not be a bad idea.

The biggest question mark, and the one most important to me, is whether or not David Fincher will be returning to direct The Girl Who Play With Fire. In my opinion, the sequel needs Fincher and his perfectionist eye. His influence is the biggest difference between the American and Swedish films. He is still not signed on to direct and there has been little word on the negotiations to get this coveted director back. Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig are both inked to the second chapter however. David, if you’re reading this (and you’re not), you need to come back for the sequel. Please.

What Do You Think Of This News?

 

Follow Matthew on Twitter: @matthewdeery