Girl With The Dragon Tattoo Loses Money But Will MGM Make Sequels on the Cheap?

'The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo' may have been a hit with the critics but it failed to make any real noise at the box office last holiday season. The American movie adaptation of the best-selling novel, starring Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara, was considered a loss despite taking in $231 million in box office receipts worldwide. So what's the status of the planned sequel?

MGM Holdings CEO Gary Barber said, "It is below our expectations and we booked a modest loss," adding, "were hoping we’d do 10% more than we did." Deadline is also reporting that MGM currently has the option to finance the other two films in the trilogy, 'The Girl Who Played With Fire' and 'The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest,' and is currently talking to Sony studios about financing "assuming we can achieve better economics" (read: if they can do it on the cheap).

Helping to alleviate their woes is the great word-of-mouth and box office success of '21 Jump Street' which MGM co-financed. A sequel has already been greenlit to the hilarious big screen adaptation of the popular 80's television show. MGM is also co-financing New Line Cinema's 'The Hobbit' which is expected to be a huge money-maker when it's released in theaters this holiday season.