The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo: Sky announces star-studded cast as filming begins on new series

Sky has announced that filming is officially underway in Sweden and Lithuania on The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, an eagerly anticipated eight-part Sky Original series based on Stieg Larsson’s internationally bestselling Millennium novels.

Joining previously announced lead actors David Oyelowo (Silo, Selma), who plays journalist Mikael Blomkvist, and Viola Prettejohn (The Crown, The Testament of Ann Lee), who stars as hacker Lisbeth Salander, is an impressive ensemble cast featuring some of the industry’s biggest names.

Jonathan Pryce (The Two Popes, Slow Horses) will play Henrik Vanger, alongside James D’Arcy (Oppenheimer, VisionQuest) as Martin Vanger, Lena Olin (Nine Perfect Strangers, The Housewife) as Isabella Vanger, and Camille Cottin (Call My Agent!, Stillwater) as Erika Berger.

The cast also includes Alun Armstrong (The Choral, Breeders) as Harald Vanger, Jessica Raine (Two Weeks in August, The Devil’s Hour) as Cecilia Vanger and Paul Ready (Ann Droid, The Terror) as Birger Vanger.

Further cast members include Ariyon Bakare (Mr Loverman, The Mosquito Coast) as Palmgren, Lee Ross (Andor) as DI Gustaf Morell, Steve Wall (Black Doves) as Otto Falk, Justin Salinger (Hijack, The Strays) as Bjurman, Allan Corduner (Homeland, Tár) as Dirch Frode, Rochenda Sandall (Amandaland, WAR) as Armansky and Naomi Townsend (Going Dark, The Orange Cube Project) as Mimmi Wu.

The production has also assembled a cast to portray the younger versions of the Vanger family, including Ingrid Keighley (Invasion) as young Harriet Vanger, Danny Horn (Blockhead, Doctor Who) as young Henrik Vanger, Lucy Brown (Primeval) as young Isabella Vanger, Alastair Natkiel (Line of Duty) as young Harald Vanger, Ewan Labram (Dept Q) as young Martin Vanger and Joseph Mason-Coombs (Lazarus) as young Birger Vanger.

Completing the cast are Daniella Arthur-Kennedy (First Day on Earth) as Pernilla Blomkvist, Enzo Cilenti (Kill Jackie, Black Mirror) as Greger Beckman, Dónall Ó Héalaí (Hidden Assets, The Surgeon and Landlines) as Anders Ahlund and Lochlann Ó Mearáin (The Rainmaker) as Gottfried.

What is The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo about?

Produced by Left Bank Pictures (The Crown, Dept Q), the eight-part mystery thriller brings a contemporary perspective to one of the world’s most celebrated literary franchises.

The Millennium novels have sold more than 100 million copies worldwide. The new adaptation will retain the recognisable characters, gripping mystery and investigative elements of Stieg Larsson’s original work, while exploring how power, secrecy and misogyny have evolved in an increasingly connected digital world.

Based on the first novel in the Millennium series, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo follows Mikael Blomkvist, a journalist whose career has been cancelled, and Lisbeth Salander, an uncompromising hacker.

The pair join forces to investigate the disappearance of Harriet Vanger, who vanished more than three decades ago from the secluded island home of one of Sweden’s most powerful industrial families.

As their investigation uncovers the Vanger family’s dark and deeply buried secrets, they find themselves getting closer to a chilling threat that is unfolding dangerously close to them in the present day.

Sky and Left Bank Pictures share their excitement

The series has attracted an acclaimed creative team, with BAFTA-winning screenwriter and novelist Amanda Coe (Apple Tree Yard, The Trial of Christine Keeler), Steve Lightfoot (Behind Her Eyes, The Punisher) and Angela LaManna (The Haunting of Bly Manor, Behind Her Eyes) writing and executive producing.

Reinaldo Marcus Green (King Richard, Bob Marley: One Love) takes the lead directing role, working alongside fellow directors Andrea Harkin (The Trial of Christine Keeler, Time) and Amy Neil (Hanna, Hostage).

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

“We’re thrilled to welcome such an extraordinary ensemble cast to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. The Vanger family, with its bitter rivalries and deeply buried secrets, sits at the heart of one of fiction’s most compelling mysteries, and our eight-part adaptation gives us the opportunity to explore this fascinating dynasty in greater depth than ever before. With our brilliant creative team, we’re creating a series that honours everything audiences love about the original story, while taking its characters, mystery and themes into a world that feels unmistakably of the moment.”

Charlotte Moore, Executive Producer and CEO of Left Bank Pictures, added:

“It’s wonderful to see The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo brought to life with actors of this calibre. Alongside our leads David Oyelowo and Viola Prettejohn, we’re thrilled to be bringing such a stellar ensemble cast together with our outstanding creative team. It’s everything we could have hoped for”

Who is behind The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo?

Amanda Coe, Steve Lightfoot and Angela LaManna serve as writers and executive producers, while Reinaldo Marcus Green also executive produces alongside directing. Andrea Harkin and Amy Neil join the directing team.

David Oyelowo also takes on an executive producer role, with Charlotte Moore and John Phillips executive producing for Left Bank Pictures and Sam Hoyle for Sky.

Nuala O’Leary is the series producer.

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

With filming now underway and a celebrated cast bringing Larsson’s unforgettable characters back to the screen, Sky’s new adaptation promises a fresh take on a much-loved mystery thriller.

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