'The Girl in the Spider's Web': another chance to support female heroes

Sony's reboot of Stieg Larsson's popular character is another chance for audiences to support a new female-led action franchise to rival those with male-based heroes

Claire Foy in 'The Girl in the Spider's Web' (Sony/Colombia/MGM)

by Jack Linsdell

A few weeks ago, Sony Pictures/Colombia/MGM dropped the first trailers for 'The Girl in the Spider's Web' starring Claire Foy as Lisbeth Salander and based on the popular series created by Stieg Larsson but on the book by David Lagercrantz (he continued the series on after Larsson's death). In 2011, Sony opened David Fincher's adaption of 'The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo' with Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara to $232 million worldwide on a $90 million budget and to favourable reviews and awards buzz (earning an Academy Award for Best Editing). However, for some reason, despite Fincher's passion to bring sequels to the fray, production on a further film was delayed to the point that Sony pulled the plug and undertook a soft-reboot with Claire Foy taking over from Mara. This means that this film is still being marketed as a sequel to Fincher's original (the trailers including 'A new Dragon Tattoo story' under the title) but also distancing itself as a 'soft reboot'. 

Now, I've only seen parts of the Daniel Craig-starring first film but I wasn't completely hooked. Yes, its graphic violence and sexual content set it apart from the competition as an explicitly adult-targeted psychological-thriller but perhaps that's why all involved didn't feel it clicked with audiences enough. The trailer's for the Claire Foy-led actioner have grabbed me and although it still might gain an 18 rating, I wonder if Sony and friends are hoping for a 15-rating. Either way, many have noted the film feels more like an action-flick disguised in the confines of a psychological-thriller than it's original which might open the audience demographic. The notion of a female-led, strong action hero franchise based on popular Swedish characters, with adult-content and psychological-thriller narratives is something appeals to me greatly. And, if the trailers are to be trusted, this film looks decent. 

I've discussed recently my views on whether there should be a female James Bond and the fact that audiences are trying to convert iconic male heroes into female-led ones just because Doctor Who has (so far) managed to successfully. However, audiences then don't support studios attempts at creating new female-led action franchises like Tomb Raider, Atomic Blonde or The 5th Wave and unlike general audience and critic consensus, I at least enjoyed all of the mentioned flicks as decent films with strong-leading performances. You can't ask for more cake, but when one comes along turn your nose up at it. 

The film is targeting a November 9th release date this year and this is another opportunity for audiences to actually support a female-led action hero movie that the studio plans to make into a franchise. Even if Stieg Larsson's books don't appeal or the adult-content is off-putting, I think its a duty of movie-goers in every country to turn up in November and support the film. Of course, if the movie is of poor-quality then all franchise plans will go out of the window (unless by some miracle it can soar at the worldwide box office). But, this is an opportunity to support the much-delayed train of increased female representation in film and if you don't, your claims of wanting Fleming's fictional spy to change gender are invalid and hypocritical. Change inside the industry can only come if you as the audience give the justification that audiences want female-led (action) franchises - which people obviously do considering the flack Barbara Broccoli received on announcing Bond would remain a man. 

Claire Foy - although not top of anyone's list to become a female-action star - is an immensely talented actress whose proved herself time and time again in First Man, Breathe and Netflix's The Crown and can equally hold a franchise together as Gal Gadot or Angelina Jolie. And, I'm interested to see how she balances emotional-drama with action-physicality in the upcoming film. Although, hardcore fans may consider the adaption of a "not written by Stieg Larsson" novel to be a poor choice and the emphasised action element to be a betrayal of the source material, but if the film is good and audiences actually show up, Sony has the potential to appeal to a wider-demographic and create a female-led action franchise (a rare gem in the current marketplace). 

'The Girl in the Spider's Web' is directed by Fede Alvarez, based on a screenplay by Alvarez, Jay Basu and Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders, Allied) and stars Claire Foy, Stephen Merchant and a range of Swedish-born actors. Go and check it out on November 9th instead of spending too much time on the web being hypocritical (pun very much intended!)