Who could replace Rooney Mara in Dragon Tattoo sequel?

Rooney Mara starred in the Hollywood adaptation of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

A follow-up to The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo will begin filming in September.

But there will be no return for the stars of the 2011 film, Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig.

Director Fede Alvarez is on the look-out for an entirely new cast for The Girl in the Spider's Web, which is due for release in October 2018.

Alvarez, who also directed thriller Don't Breathe, said: "We've got a great script and now comes the most fun part - finding our Lisbeth."

So who could be in the running to replace Rooney as punk super-hacker Lisbeth Salander?

The film will be based on David Lagercrantz's novel

Variety is reporting that Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson might be in the running.

David Fincher, who directed the US adaptation of Stieg Larsson's original novel in 2011, said at the time that Johansson had done a "great audition" for the main part in the first US film, but that audiences would find her too distracting.

Jane Levy, who starred in Alvarez's Don't Breathe and Evil Dead, could also be a contender.

Stieg Larsson wrote about Lisbeth Salander in three novels - The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest.

He died of a heart attack in 2004, but the series was continued by David Lagercrantz with The Girl in the Spider's Web, which was published in 2015.

Columbia has chosen Lagercrantz's novel to adapt for the second English-language film.

Julianne Moore (right) took Jodie Foster's role in the Silence of the Lambs sequel

It won't be the first time a different actor has been hired for a sequel:

• Back to the Future actors Claudia Wells and Crispin Glover, who played Marty McFly's love interest Jennifer and Marty's dad in the 1985 original, were both replaced after the first film. Wells chose to not return to look after her ill mother and the role went to Elisabeth Shue. Glover got into a financial dispute with the film-makers and was replaced by Jeffrey Weissman.

• Everyone remembers Jodie Foster's star turn in the chilling Silence of the Lambs opposite Anthony Hopkins. But in the 2001 sequel Hannibal, the role of FBI special agent Clarice Starling was played by Julianne Moore.

• Richard Harris was revered for his portrayal of Albus Dumbledore in the first two Harry Potter films. He died in 2002, so Michael Gambon was cast as the headteacher of Hogwarts for the remaining adaptations.

• Ed Norton played The Incredible Hulk in 2008 but when it came to 2012's The Avengers, Mark Ruffalo took on the green mantle.