Five compete for 'Dragon Tattoo' lead

Five actresses are in the running for the role of Lisbeth Salander in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, reports IndieWire.

Director David Fincher screen-tested five finalists this week for the coveted part, all of them relatively unknown or up-and-coming stars. Australians Emily Browning, Sophie Lowe, Sarah Snook, American Rooney Mara and an unnamed French actress are said to be the five competing to play bisexual hacker Salander.

Browning is the most established actress of the group, having had roles in Lemony Snicket, horror The Uninvited and the upcoming Sucker Punch, while Mara has a role in Fincher's Facebook movie The Social Network.

Carey Mulligan and Kristen Stewart have previously expressed an interest in starring in the Dragon Tattoo movies.

Fincher has reportedly told the five actresses to work on their Swedish accents, suggesting that Salander and the story's location won't be Americanised. The movies are based on Stieg Larsson's best-selling Millennium Trilogy, which have already been adapted for the screen in Sweden.

Daniel Craig is the frontrunner to play journalist Mikael Blomkvist, although scheduling problems with the James Bond series and a potential Cowboys & Aliens franchise could take him out of the running.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo will open in cinemas on December 21, 2011.