''The Girl in the Spider's Web'' is a 2018

action thriller film The action film is a film genre that predominantly features chase sequences, fights, shootouts, explosions, and stunt work. The specifics of what constitutes an action film has been in scholarly debate since the 1980s. While some scholars such as D ...

directed by

Fede Álvarez Federico Javier Álvarez Mattos (; born February 9, 1978) is a Uruguayan filmmaker. He is best known for directing the films ''Evil Dead (2013 film), Evil Dead'' (2013), ''Don't Breathe'' (2016), and ''Alien: Romulus'' (2024). Early life Álvare ...

, who co-wrote the screenplay with Jay Basu and

Steven Knight Steven Knight (born 5 August 1959) is a British screenwriter, producer, and director for film and television. He wrote the screenplays for the films ''Closed Circuit (2013 film), Closed Circuit'', ''Dirty Pretty Things (film), Dirty Pretty Thi ...

, based on the 2015 novel of the same name by David Lagercrantz, which in turn was based on characters introduced in the ''Millennium'' book series by

Stieg Larsson Karl Stig-Erland "Stieg" Larsson (, ; 15 August 1954 – 9 November 2004) was a Swedish writer, journalist, and far-left activist. He is best known for writing the ''Millennium'' trilogy of crime novels, which were published posthumously, sta ...

. The film acts as a soft reboot and

sequel A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music, or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...

to ''

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo ''The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo'' (original title in ) is a psychological thriller novel by Swedish author Stieg Larsson. It was published posthumously in 2005, translated into English in 2008, and became an international bestseller. ''T ...

'' (2011). It stars

Claire Foy Claire Elizabeth Foy (born 16 April 1984) is a British actress. She is best known for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in the Netflix drama series ''The Crown (TV series), The Crown'' (2016–2023), for which List of awards and nominations r ...

in the role of

Lisbeth Salander Lisbeth Salander is a fictional character created by Swedish author and journalist Stieg Larsson in his award-winning Millennium (novel series), ''Millennium'' series. She first appeared in the 2005 novel ''The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo'', as a ...

, and follows Salander as she battles against a mysterious notorious organization, the Spiders, who seek world dominance.

Sverrir Gudnason Sverre, Sverrir or Sverri is a Nordic name from the Old Norse ''Sverrir'', meaning "wild, swinging, spinning". It is a common name in Norway, Iceland and the Faroe Islands; it is less common in Denmark and Sweden. It can also be a surname. Sverre ma ...

Lakeith Stanfield LaKeith Lee Stanfield (born August 12, 1991) is an American actor. He made his feature film debut in '' Short Term 12'' (2013), for which he was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award. He received further recognition for his roles in the fil ...

, Sylvia Hoeks, and

Stephen Merchant Stephen James Merchant (born 24 November 1974) is an English comedian, writer, director, and actor. He was the co-writer and co-director of the British TV comedy series ''The Office (British TV series), The Office'' (2001–2003), and co-writer ...

appear in supporting roles. ''The Girl in the Spider's Web'' had its premiere at the

Rome Film Festival International Rome Film Fest is a film festival that takes place in Rome during the month of October. The name in Italian is Festa del Cinema di Roma. From 2022, the festival was officially recognized as a competitive festival by the Internation ...

on October 24, 2018, and was released in Sweden on October 26, and in the United States on November 9, by

Sony Pictures Releasing Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group (formerly known as the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group until 2013, and abbreviated as SPMPG) is a division of Sony Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment to manage its motion picture operatio ...

. A box-office disappointment, the film grossed only $35.2 million worldwide against a production budget of $43 million and received generally negative reviews from critics, although Foy's performance was praised.

Plot

Two young sisters, Camilla and

, play chess at the home of their abusive father, crime lord Alexander Zalachenko. One day, when Zalachenko attempts to molest Camilla, Lisbeth tries to drag her away, to no avail. She eventually leaps from a balcony into a snowdrift and escapes, leaving Camilla behind. Years later, in

Stockholm, Sweden Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...

, computer programmer Frans Balder hires Lisbeth, now a vigilante hacker, to retrieve Firefall, a program he developed for the

National Security Agency The National Security Agency (NSA) is an intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense, under the authority of the director of national intelligence (DNI). The NSA is responsible for global monitoring, collection, and proces ...

(NSA) that can access the world's nuclear codes. Balder believes it too dangerous to exist. Lisbeth retrieves Firefall from the NSA's servers, but cannot unlock it. NSA agent Edwin Needham tracks the unauthorized login to Stockholm and arrives there seeking Lisbeth and Firefall. Mercenaries led by Jan Holtser steal the program from Lisbeth and attempt to kill her, though she survives. When she misses a scheduled rendezvous with Balder, he mistakenly believes Lisbeth kept Firefall for herself and contacts Gabrielle Grane, the deputy director of the

Swedish Security Service The Swedish Security Service ( , SÄPO , , formerly , RPS/Säk, until 1989) is a Sweden, Swedish Government agencies in Sweden, government agency organized under the Ministry of Justice (Sweden), Ministry of Justice. It operates as a security ...

(SÄPO). Grane moves Balder and his young son, August, to a safe house. Lisbeth and her hacker friend, Plague, contact Lisbeth's former lover, investigative journalist

Mikael Blomkvist Mikael Blomkvist is a fictional character created by Swedish author and journalist Stieg Larsson. He is a main character of Larsson's award-winning ''Millennium'' series, along with Lisbeth Salander. Profile Name Larsson stated in interviews ...

, for help identifying her assailants. Blomkvist learns that Holtser previously worked for Lisbeth's late father, Zalachenko, and is now affiliated with the "Spiders", an international crime syndicate. Lisbeth puts surveillance on Balder's safe house, and when it is attacked, she intervenes, attempting to protect Balder and August. She is intercepted by Holtser, who kills Balder, frames Lisbeth, and kidnaps August. Lisbeth pursues them and rescues August. She also learns that the Spiders' leader is Camilla, whom Lisbeth believed was dead. After years of physical and sexual abuse by Zalachenko, Camilla faked her suicide and went underground to form the Spiders. Lisbeth takes August to another safe house, and confirms only he can unlock Firefall. Elsewhere, Needham locates Lisbeth's girlfriend, Sofia, and persuades her to arrange a meeting between them, intending to lure Lisbeth into a trap. Lisbeth evades Needham, who is later arrested by SÄPO. Lisbeth helps Needham escape in exchange for him escorting August to San Francisco to reunite him with his mother; she agrees to later give him Firefall. The Spiders trick August by calling him from his father's cellphone, then track him to Lisbeth's safe house. Camilla and the Spiders take August to her base of operations, the sisters' childhood home. Grane hired the Spiders to retrieve Firefall for her and informed them of Balder's location. However, Camilla, having other plans, kills her. Using a tracker hidden on August, Lisbeth, Blomkvist, Plague, and Needham locate him. Lisbeth breaks in to give Plague remote computer access to the building's surveillance system. She is caught and taken to where August is being held. Blomkvist is also captured. When Camilla threatens to torture him, Lisbeth tells August to trust her and to reveal the Firefall password. Camilla tries suffocating Lisbeth while describing Zalachenko's abuse. Armed with a sniper rifle and remotely guided by Plague via computer, Needham fires through walls, eliminating Camilla's henchmen and saving August and Blomkvist. Camilla escapes with the laptop containing Firefall, and Lisbeth pursues her. Holtser, injected with a poison that induces blindness, stumbles onto a road and is fatally hit by Camilla's fleeing car. The vehicle crashes into trees. Camilla, injured, escapes into the nearby woods. Lisbeth pursues her to a clifftop, where Camilla asks why she never returned to rescue her; Lisbeth says that Camilla chose to remain with their father rather than escape with her. Camilla, heavily bleeding, drops the laptop and steps off the cliff before Lisbeth can stop her, apparently falling to her death. Needham later attempts to access Firefall, only to discover that Lisbeth destroyed it. August is reunited with his mother in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. Blomkvist writes an investigative article about the Spider's Web to be published in'' Millennium'', but then deletes it. Lisbeth destroys her childhood home and rides away on her motorcycle.

Cast

, a computer hacker who has survived severe emotional and sexual abuse ** Beau Gadsdon as young Lisbeth Salander *

, a journalist for Millennium and lover/partner of Lisbeth *

as Edwin Needham, an NSA security expert who is tracking Salander * Sylvia Hoeks as Camilla Salander, Lisbeth's estranged sister, who is the head of a major crime syndicate ** Carlotta von Falkenhayn as young Camilla Salander *

as Frans Balder, a terminated employee of the NSA who developed a program called Firefall, which accesses the world's nuclear codes. He requests Salander's help in destroying his program, which he believes to be too powerful for any player. * Vicky Krieps as Erika Berger, the publisher of ''Millennium'' * Claes Bang as Jan Holtser, Camilla's accomplice * Christopher Convery as August Balder, Frans' son * Synnøve Macody Lund as Gabriella Grane, the deputy director of the Swedish Security Service * Cameron Britton as Plague, a close associate of Lisbeth's, and a computer expert to whom she reaches out when she needs assistance * Andreja Pejić as Sofia, Lisbeth's lover/partner *

Mikael Persbrandt Mikael Åke Persbrandt (; born 25 September 1963) is a Swedish actor. In Swedish films, he is perhaps best known for playing Gunvald Larsson in the ''Beck'' series of movies. He is internationally known for his starring role in the Academy Awar ...

as Alexander Zalachenko, Lisbeth and Camilla Salander's father * Volker Bruch as Peter Ahlgren * Pal Sverre Hagen as Ove Levin

Production

Development

In November 2015, ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

'' announced that

Sony Pictures Entertainment Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. is an American diversified multinational mass media and entertainment studio conglomerate that produces, acquires, and distributes filmed entertainment (theatrical motion pictures, television programs, and rec ...

was planning to develop a new film series based on the ''Millennium'' novels, starting from the book ''The Girl in the Spider's Web'' by David Lagercrantz. Rooney Mara and

Daniel Craig Daniel Wroughton Craig (born 2 March 1968) is an English actor. His accolades include two National Board of Review Awards, in addition to nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and three Golden Globe Awards. ...

, who portrayed Salander and Blomkvist, respectively, in ''

'', would not be back for the film. New actors would be cast, and

David Fincher David Andrew Leo Fincher (born August 28, 1962) is an American film director. Often described as one of the preeminent directors of his generation, David Fincher filmography, his films, of which most are psychological thrillers, have collectiv ...

would also not return as director, though he later received an executive producer credit.

was announced to be in talks to adapt the novel, while the producers would be Scott Rudin, Amy Pascal, and Elizabeth Cantillon, along with Yellow Bird's Berna Levin, Søren Stærmose, and Ole Sondberg. ''

TheWrap ''TheWrap'' is an American online news organization that covers the business of entertainment and media. It was founded by journalist Sharon Waxman in 2009 and is based in Los Angeles. The site features original reporting, analysis, and editor ...

'' reported that

Alicia Vikander Alicia Amanda Vikander (; ; born 3 October 1988) is a Swedish actress. List of awards and nominations received by Alicia Vikander, Her accolades include an Academy Award and nominations for two Golden Globe Awards and three British Academy Film ...

was being considered for the role of Salander. However, while promoting '' Carol'', Mara stated that she was still signed for the sequel: "As far as I know I'm doing it until someone tells me otherwise".

Tatiana Maslany Tatiana Gabriele Maslany ( ; born September 22, 1985) is a Canadian actress. She rose to prominence for playing multiple characters in the science-fiction thriller television series ''Orphan Black'' (2013–2017), which won her a Primetime Emmy ...

, Jane Levy and Troian Bellisario were also linked to the project.

Casting

In November 2016, '' Variety'' reported that Sony was in negotiations with

to direct the film, with Eli Bush as an additional producer. In March 2017, it was announced that the film would feature an entirely new cast, with production set to begin in September 2017. In May 2017, it was reported that

was the frontrunner to play Salander, and, in September 2017, Foy was officially cast in the film. Sylvia Hoeks joined the cast in October 2017. The rest of the cast was announced over the next five months.

Filming

Principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...

began in January 2018 in

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

, Leipzig Airport then moved to Hamburg February 2–4, for filming at the Kattwyk Bridge; and ended in April 2018, in

Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...

Music

Composer Roque Baños was chosen to provide the score. The recording took place at the newly opened

Synchron Stage Vienna Synchron Stage Vienna is a recording facility specializing in recording large orchestras and Film score, film music. The landmark protected building, formerly "Synchronhalle" ("Hall 6") of the historic film lot "Film City Vienna" in the Austrian c ...

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

Release

''The Girl in the Spider's Web'' was released in the United States on November 9, 2018 by Sony. It was originally scheduled for October 5, 2018, but was moved in March 2017. The first trailer was released on June 7, 2018. The film premiered at the

on October 24, 2018.

Reception

Box office

''The Girl in the Spider's Web'' worldwide gross was $35 million, against a production budget of $43 million. Having failed to recover its production budget, it emerged a

box-office bomb A box-office bomb is a film that is unprofitable or considered highly unsuccessful during its theatrical run. Although any film for which the combined production budget, marketing, and distribution costs exceed the revenue after release has te ...

. In the United States and Canada, ''The Girl in the Spider's Web'' was released alongside '' The Grinch'' and ''

Overlord An overlord in the English feudal system was a lord of a manor who had subinfeudated a particular manor, estate or fee, to a tenant. The tenant thenceforth owed to the overlord one of a variety of services, usually military service or ...

'', and was projected to gross $10–15 million from 2,929 theaters in its opening weekend. It made $3 million on its first day, including $635,000 from Thursday night previews. It went on to debut to $8 million, down from the $12.8 million opening of the first film and finishing fifth at the box office. The film fell 68% in its second weekend to $2.8 million, finishing ninth.

Critical response

Audiences polled by

CinemaScore CinemaScore is an American market research firm based in Las Vegas. It surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences with letter grades, reports the results, and forecasts box office receipts from the data. Background Ed Mintz, who ...

gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale, while PostTrak reported filmgoers gave it a 75% positive score.

Manohla Dargis Manohla June Dargis ( ) is an American film critic. She is the chief film critic for ''The New York Times''. She is a five-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism. Career Before being a film critic for ''The New York Times'', Dargis ...

of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' was critical of Alvarez's action filmmaking touch-ups being "a bummer, at times risible" and giving the story "a wash of murky hues and murkier narrative developments". Chris Nashawaty of ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...

'' gave the film an overall C grade, calling it "a disappointingly safe, by-the-numbers action-thriller" that will be "a letdown for fans who once embraced Salander's bold queerness and bleak nihilism." Peter Sobczynski of RogerEbert.com commended Alvarez for staging the action scenes in a "slick and efficient manner," but criticized the overall film for having a "genuinely terrible story" with "ham-handed storytelling" and reducing Lisbeth Salander to a "nondescript female action hero" with dialed down characteristics. Greg Cwik of ''

Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yor ...

'' heavily panned Alvarez's film for using a "slick but lifeless aesthetic" that rips off David Fincher's '' Seven'' and "suffers from a compulsion to be capital-C cool" with its overly stylistic touches, concluding with: "From its aping of Fincher's style to its purloining of clichés from so many

James Bond The ''James Bond'' franchise focuses on James Bond (literary character), the titular character, a fictional Secret Intelligence Service, British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels ...

films and action thrillers before it, ''The Girl in the Spider's Web'' is simply chasing the ghosts of other films." Many critics praised Foy for her portrayal of Lisbeth Salander. Deborah Young of ''The Hollywood Reporter'' wrote that Foy did a "respectable job" as the character, while

Will Gompertz William Edward Gompertz (born 1965) is an English journalist, author and art critic. He was formerly the BBC's arts editor before moving to a position as the Barbican Centre's Artistic Director from 1 June 2021. Family and education Gompertz ...

of '' BBC.com'' said she did a "reasonable job in a limited role" that does not go beyond "being a cartoonishly two-dimensional action hero". Brian Truitt of ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...

'' said, "To her credit, Foy gives her a default cold demeanor and businesslike drive that is nicely upended later on when things do get personal." ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

''s

Peter Travers Peter Joseph Travers (born June 27, 1943) is an American film critic, journalist, and television presenter. He reviews films for ABC News and previously served as a movie critic for ''People'' and ''Rolling Stone''. Travers also hosts the film i ...

called her "killer good" in the role for "supplying the nuance and grace notes that the too-busy script leaves out." Katie Rife of ''

The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was created in ...

'' wrote that Foy gave an "interesting performance" that "splits the difference between ooneyMara's mannered interpretation of the character and oomiRapace's more vulnerable work in the role". Kate Erbland of '' IndieWire'' felt that Foy gave "the best on-screen depiction of Lisbeth yet," saying she makes her "more human" than the previous incarnations and delivers "a heroine not only worth cheering for, but one worth loving and even understanding."

Notes

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Girl in the Spider's Web (film) 2018 films 2018 action thriller films 2018 crime action films 2018 crime thriller films 2018 LGBTQ-related films 2010s American films 2010s British films 2010s English-language films 2010s German films 2010s Swedish films American action thriller films American crime action films American crime thriller films American sequel films American vigilante films British action thriller films British crime action films British crime thriller films British sequel films British vigilante films Columbia Pictures films Dragon Tattoo Stories (film series) English-language action thriller films English-language crime action films English-language crime thriller films English-language German films English-language Swedish films Films about domestic violence Films about terrorism in the United States Films about the National Security Agency Films about twin sisters Films based on Swedish novels Films directed by Fede Álvarez Films produced by Amy Pascal Films produced by Scott Rudin Films scored by Roque Baños Films set in Stockholm Films shot in Berlin Films shot in Stockholm Films with screenplays by Fede Álvarez Films with screenplays by Steven Knight German action thriller films German crime action films German crime thriller films German sequel films German vigilante films Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films Reboot films Regency Enterprises films Swedish action thriller films Swedish crime action films Swedish crime thriller films Swedish sequel films Swedish vigilante films Techno-thriller films