Noomi Rapace for 'Sherlock', 'M:I 4' roles?

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo star Noomi Rapace is reportedly in the running for roles in Sherlock Holmes 2 and Mission: Impossible 4.

According to Deadline, Hollywood executives are keen to bring the 30-year-old Swedish actress in for parts in the blockbuster sequels. Next week she is due to meet M:I 4 helmer Brad Bird, potentially to play a villain or love interest opposite Tom Cruise in the Paramount spy thriller.

Rapace - who portrays Lisbeth Salander in the Swedish adaptations of Stieg Larsson's Millennium series - has also met with several other A-list filmmakers about US projects, including Ridley Scott, Brett Ratner, James McTeigue (for The Raven) and McG (for This Means War).

"They're originally meeting her expecting this hard-ass on a Harley wearing leather. But she's nothing like Lisbeth," an insider said. "They're shocked to find this unbelievably beautiful and sexy fresh-faced actress with a wonderful sense of humour. So now that's opening doors for her. They go into the meeting to ask, 'Do I have a villain? And they leave saying, 'Do I have a great female lead?'."

Rapace could also potentially be in the 'Best Actress' Oscar race next year. Dragon Tattoo's US distributor Music Box Films is planning to hire an Oscars publicist to push Rapace for a nomination, believing that she can emulate the Stateside success of French actress Marion Cotillard, who bagged an Oscar for La Vie En Rose in 2008.