Music Box takes US rights to Swedish smash Dragon Tattoo

Music Box has scheduled a March 2010 release for the mystery thriller – known as Men Who Hate Women outside the US and UK – which has grossed more than $100m worldwide this year.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is the first of the late journalist Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy and involves murder, corporate intrigue and a Swedish publishing empire’s dark secrets.

Swedish company Yellow Bird produced the film, which is nominated for the People’s Choice Award by the European Film Academy and stars Sweden’s Michael Nyqvist and rising actress Noomi Rapace.

“We are extremely pleased to offer US audiences the opportunity to see the riveting The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, one of the most talked about international films of the year,” Music Box managing director Edward Arentz said.

Music Box negotiated the sales with Yellow Bird parent company Zodiak Entertainment.

“We have eagerly awaited an American deal for the film after the success in Europe,” Yellow Bird producer Soren Staermose said.

“The US sale means that Millennium has truly reached a global audience and we are delighted to be part of its on-going success,” Emmanuelle Bouilhaguet, director of scripted sales at Zodiak Entertainment, added.

Yellow Bird’s sequel The Girl Who Played With Fire recently premiered in Scandinavia through Nordisk and has already sold more than one million tickets. The final instalment, The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest, is in post-production and set to open in Scandinavia on November 27.