"The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo's" Noomi Rapace is set to star in Ridley Scott's "Prometheus," 20th Century Fox's original sci-fi epic that was initially conceived as a prequel to Scott's own "Alien," the studio announced on Friday.
Oscar winners Angelina Jolie and Charlize Theron are reportedly circling the film's other female lead, and there are three other major roles to be cast.
Jon Spaihts ("The Darkest Hour") wrote the initial draft of the screenplay, which was based on an idea from Scott, who then worked with "Lost" co-creator Damon Lindelof to revise the script, which took the story in a different direction.
Plot details are being kept firmly under wraps. but the project is said to use the "Alien" DNA to tell a larger, more provocative story.
Fox is scheduled to release "Prometheus" on March 9, 2012.
Scott reportedly cast Rapace after becoming taken with her portrayal of hacker heroine Lisbeth Salander in "Dragon Tattoo," which was named the Performance of the Year by Time magazine. The Millennium trilogy has collectively grossed more than $212 million worldwide.
Rapace is currently filming "Sherlock Holmes 2" with Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law. She is represented by UTA and Magnolia Entertainment.
