According to the family of deceased writer and journalist Stieg Larsson, Quentin Tarantino and Brad Pitt have expressed interest in the rights to an English remake of Larsson’s best-selling “Millenium” series, according to The Times (via Anne Thompson).
The series consists of three completed novels (“The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo,” “The Girl Who Played With Fire” and “The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest”) which are currently being adapted for the silver screen in Scandinavia. The first novel’s adaptation by Danish director Niels Arden Oplev just screened in the Cannes market under the rejigged title of “Millenium: Men Who Hate Women” and follows the story of a disgraced journalist and punk hacker who team to uncover an undetected chain of serial killings. The second and third novels’ adaptations are simultaneously in development while a manuscript for a fourth novel in the series is currently in the midst of a legal tug-of-war between Larsson’s family and his common-law wife.
That is where Tarantino and Pitt come in allegedly. The two are apparently interested in the remake rights and have reportedly contacted Larsson’s family about the prospect, however, the family would like to discuss the writer’s legacy with his widow before making any moves. “We are inundated with requests for permission to make plays and cartoon strips out of Millennium,” Larsson’s family said. “Quentin Tarantino and Brad Pitt would like to buy the rights for a remake of the film. We want her opinion.”
Larsson’s widow Eva Gabrielsson, however, refuses to deal with the writer’s family who she claims were long estranged from the acclaimed writer and don’t deserve to be in control of the rights to his work. “I think it’s a great injustice,” said Gabrielsson. “It would have been beyond Stieg’s worst nightmares to know that someone other than me was handling the rights to his books and to know that the money we planned to invest is gone.” At the time of Larsson’s death, Gabrielsson inherited none of his earnings or the rights to his work, despite being apart of the writing process, as the two were not legally married. This in itself has sparked controversy with ‘Support Eva’ programs initiated all over the globe assisting her in legal efforts to reclaim the literary rights to Larsson’s work.
There’s is another twist to the story though. Gabrielsson is in possession of a laptop computer that holds the manuscript to a fourth novel in the series and reported sketched out plots for another six stories. The Larsson family have gone as far as offering her a Stockholm flat for the laptop which was obviously denied. Gabrielsson assisted Larsson in his writings and speculation has it that she may attempt to finish off his work. “It would be as difficult as trying to finish a painting by Picasso,” Gabrielsson responded, neither confirming or denying.
At this point in time, it seems unlikely that Larsson’s family and Gabrielsson will ever come to a compromise, after all it has been over five years since the writer’s passing. But now with Hollywood knocking on the door, and probably big fat pay checks, it may be that Larsson’s family will be tempted sell the rights to his first three novels – which is good news for Tarantino and Pitt.
Though Anne Thompson claims Tarantino may be interested in directing any potential remake of Larsson’s novel, it would seem more likely that Tarantino and Pitt may want to obtain the rights with a producing capacity in mind. With “Inglourious Basterds” set to open as the director’s biggest film yet in regards to financial scope, why would the director suddenly resort to adaptations and remakes? He does so well just naturally taking inspiration from older works in his own films anyway.
Here is the trailer for Niels Arden Oplev’s “Millenium: Men Who Hate Women,” the Scandinavian adaptation of Larsson’s first novel which itself may see a U.S. release sometime this year.