'Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' sequel will feature new actress

March 13 (UPI) -- Don't Breathe director Fede Alvarez is to helm The Girl in the Spider's Web.

The sequel to 2012's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo will feature an entirely new cast, with a new actress replacing Rooney Mara in the lead role.

The book version of Dragon Tattoo -- and several follow-ups -- were penned by the late Stieg Larsson, while David Lagercrantz wrote Spider's Web, the latest installment, which has never been brought to the big screen before.

The stories follow the adventures of anti-social, heroine/hacker Lisbeth Salander. The role was previously played by Mara in the English-language adaptation of Dragon Tattoo, which was directed by David Fincher.

A global search for an actress to portray Lisbeth in Spider's Web is currently underway. 

"I'm hugely excited and grateful for this opportunity," Alvarez said in a statement Monday. "Sony has become family to me and I can't think of a more thrilling project to celebrate our relationship. Lisbeth Salander is the kind of character any director dreams of bringing to life. We've got a great script and now comes the most fun part -- finding our Lisbeth."

The Girl in the Spider's Web will be the first book in the best-selling series initially made as an English-language film. The previous novels were adapted as Swedish-language movies, and Fincher's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was a re-make of the Swedish film. Noomi Rapace played Lisbeth in the Swedish movies.

"In all of contemporary literature, Lisbeth Salander is completely sui generis -- probably one of the greatest female literary characters of all time in my view," added Sanford Panitch, president of Columbia Pictures. "Modern punk defiance personified, she is unforgettable in every incarnation, truly one of the most compelling characters we've seen in recent years. David Lagercrantz's brilliant work in continuing this remarkable series honors Stieg Larsson's masterpiece. We at Sony are so honored to be part of this series with Yellowbird, and we're so excited to be making an original film of The Girl in the Spider's Web. Fede Alvarez is the perfect choice to direct. Fede is an amazing director with a unique vision of the world. In particular, his talent and skill in creating psychological intensity will bring Lisbeth Salander back into popular movie culture with a roar."

The film is scheduled to go into production this September and will open in theaters on Oct. 5, 2018.