David Oyelowo and Viola Prettejohn Lead Sky’s New ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ Series

Sky has announced that David Oyelowo and Viola Prettejohn will headline its upcoming eight-part adaptation of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, based on Stieg Larsson’s bestselling Millennium novels.

Oyelowo, known for Silo and Selma, will play investigative journalist Mikael Blomkvist, while Prettejohn, whose credits include The Crown and The Testament of Ann Lee, takes on the role of hacker Lisbeth Salander.

The new Sky Original will bring Larsson’s iconic characters into the modern digital age while retaining the mystery and investigative elements that made the Millennium books an international publishing phenomenon. The novels have sold more than 100 million copies worldwide.

Produced by Left Bank Pictures, the company behind The Crown and Dept Q, the series will explore themes of power, secrecy, corruption and misogyny against the backdrop of an increasingly connected world.

Filming is scheduled to begin in Lithuania next month.

A New Investigation for Blomkvist and Salander

The story is based on the first novel in Larsson’s Millennium series and centers on Blomkvist and Salander as they investigate a decades-old disappearance.

Harriet Vanger disappeared more than 30 years ago from the isolated island home of the powerful Vanger industrial dynasty. As Blomkvist and Salander begin investigating the circumstances surrounding her disappearance, they uncover secrets buried deep within the family’s history.

Their search eventually connects the past to a dangerous threat in the present, putting the investigators themselves increasingly at risk.

The adaptation is designed as a contemporary interpretation of Larsson’s story, preserving the central characters and mystery while examining how the series’ themes manifest in today’s digital environment.

BAFTA-Winning Creative Team Behind the Series

Amanda Coe, the BAFTA-winning screenwriter and novelist behind Apple Tree Yard and The Trial of Christine Keeler, serves as a writer and executive producer.

She is joined by Steve Lightfoot, whose credits include Behind Her Eyes and The Punisher, and Angela LaManna, known for The Haunting of Bly Manor and Behind Her Eyes.

Reinaldo Marcus Green, director of King Richard and Bob Marley: One Love, will lead the directing team and also executive produce. Andrea Harkin, whose work includes The Trial of Christine Keeler and Time, and Amy Neil, known for Hanna and Hostage, will also direct episodes.

David Oyelowo is additionally attached as an executive producer.

Meghan Lyvers, Managing Director, Scripted Originals, Sky, said:

“Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist are two of modern fiction’s most iconic and compelling characters, and we’re thrilled to have Viola and David bringing them to life for a new generation. Our brilliant writing team, Reinaldo Marcus Green’s bold vision and our fantastic partners at Left Bank Pictures are creating a series that honours everything audiences love about The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, while taking its characters, mystery and themes into a world that feels unmistakably of the moment. We can’t wait for audiences to experience it.”

Charlotte Moore, Executive Producer and CEO, Left Bank Pictures, said:

“We are incredibly proud to have assembled a world class creative team to reimagine Stieg Larsson’s masterpiece for a modern audience. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is an iconic story with themes of power, corruption, justice and violence against women that feel even more timely today. In Viola Prettejohn and David Oyelowo, we have two extraordinary actors at the heart of this adaptation and really look forward to audiences enjoying their take on these compelling and complex characters.”

Full Production Team

Coe, Lightfoot and LaManna are executive producers alongside Green, Oyelowo, Charlotte Moore and John Phillips for Left Bank Pictures, and Sam Hoyle for Sky.

Nuala O’Leary serves as series producer, while Scott Rudin and Amy Pascal are also executive producers.

Behind the camera, the creative team includes production designer Jo Finkel, cinematographer Yaron Orbach, hair and make-up designer Sharon Martin and costume designer Nicole Fischnaller.

The series is being produced by Left Bank Pictures in association with Jarowskij/Yellow Bird, with Left Bank Pictures operating as a Sony Pictures Television-backed company.

Where to Watch The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo will be available on Sky across the UK, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Austria.

Sony Pictures Television will handle international distribution and plans to present the series to global buyers as part of its 2026 MIPCOM slate.

The adaptation marks a new screen interpretation of one of the most recognizable modern crime-thriller franchises, with Oyelowo and Prettejohn taking on the roles of Blomkvist and Salander as the story moves into a contemporary world shaped by digital technology, hidden identities and rapidly connected information.

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