Dark velvet

Niels Arden Oplev, chose Noomi Rapace to play Lisbeth Salander because of her 'fantastic dark energy'.

Every now and then a writer will produce a series of books that captures a wide audience and develops into that holy grail of publishing, the international mega-seller. The natural evolution is the adaptation of the books into feature films, issuing a licence to print money to all involved.

Two obvious recent examples of this phenomenon are J.K. Rowling (Harry Potter) and Stephenie Meyer (Twilight), both of whom have enjoyed enormous success and attendant wealth.

A third, rather less well-known author is also in this category.

Campaigning Swedish journalist Stieg Larsson's Millennium trilogy of crime-thriller novels have sold a staggering 25 million copies and counting since they were released in 2004.

But Larsson never got to taste the fruits of that success. He died suddenly, not long after delivering the three manuscripts to his publisher. Their resulting success has sparked a bitter row over his earnings between his long-time partner and his family.

New York-based Danish film-maker Niels Arden Oplev, who directed The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, the first of the upcoming trilogy, says he was conscious of the huge expectations of Larsson's millions of fans, as well as the memory of the deceased author.

"I had a certain responsibility to a writer who is no longer with us," says Oplev. "I have been very true to the tone of the book."

That tone is at times very dark, involving corruption, vicious neo-Nazi murders, rape and violence against women. As a campaigner against right-wing ideology, Larsson was fully aware of the seedy underbelly of European culture, and his life had been threatened.

His sudden death at age 50 has given rise to inevitable conspiracy theories, which Oplev doesn't subscribe to. "I never believed any of that. He worked himself to death. He worked like crazy. He was never in the best shape, and his heart quit."

The books and films feature a highly unusual investigative pairing; middle-aged journalist Mikael Blomkvist, played by Michael Nyqvist (As It Is In Heaven - on Maori Television tonight at 9pm) and chain-smoking, bisexual, tattooed computer hacker Lisbeth Salander (newcomer Noomi Rapace). Holmes and Watson they ain't.

Comparisons will inevitably be made between Blomkvist and the author.

Oplev agrees there are parallels. "I don't know if Larsson had as many women as Blomkvist," he says with a laugh. "But he is in a lot of ways Larsson's alter ego. But that's not surprising. Certain things could be Larsson's fantasy about himself. He had this journalistic crusade against injustice, racism and Naziism."

The book's original title was Men Who Hate Women, which was changed to the more opaque, and rather meaningless The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, for the English-speaking audience.

"For me, it was the only title there was," says Oplev of the original.

"Larsson demanded by contract that title. It was part of his political aim. It was very strong. Obviously the English-speaking publishers considered it was too strong."

Does he consider the film's central statement has been diluted as a result?

"I don't think it's lost. The essence of the film is how these women are treated, and it really makes people, particularly women, think about it."

The theme is explored most shockingly through the character of Lisbeth, a young woman scarred by her past who exacts graphically violent revenge on a man who rapes her. "She is a female character who refuses to be a victim," says Oplev.

Lisbeth is one of the most striking crime-fighters ever to feature in a blockbuster franchise. With her numerous piercings and tattoos, spiky goth clothes and make-up and deeply troubled persona, this dark avenger with a photographic memory provides a fascinating foil to the old-school journo Blomkvist.

Rapace was discovered working in urban theatre in Sweden and Oplev is full of praise for her performance. "She has a certain emotional imprint that will make the character real and credible. When I worked with Noomi the first time I felt she had this fantastic dark energy, I felt a readiness in her to transform herself. I knew she was the one.

"She has a petiteness, but also an amazing strength. When I saw pictures of her I thought she was too beautiful. We didn't manage to make her ugly, even though we tried."

Oplev, whose previous films include last year's Worlds Apart, We Shall Overcome in 2006, Chop Chop and Portland, is proud of the stylish quality of his latest work, produced on a budget of US$7 million ($9.7 million). "That's the catering budget on a Hollywood film," he says.

The storyline involves a 40-year-old murder mystery and relies on clues contained in historical photographs, newspaper clippings and documents. One key photograph is of a children's parade. "We had Swedish kids in 60s clothes freezing their knees off," he laughs.

"I'm nuts for history and we wanted that level of information to be a very strong element. The winds of history. The design team did a tremendous job."

Oplev decided early to direct just one of the trilogy of films.

The others, with different directors, have already been shot for later release. "It's a huge project," he says. "It's impossible to oversee the script-writing process on the other books and post-production on the first film."

He says he has been pleasantly surprised by the reaction to the film from Larsson's many fans, and also from the "notoriously critical" European reviewers.

"Some are saying it's as good as, or better than the book," he says. "But it's not for me to judge."

* The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is in cinemas from Boxing Day.