Rooney Mara Nabs Lead Role in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Remember the name Rooney Mara. You'll be hearing it often over the next couple years.

This relatively unknown actress has beaten out a number of major stars - such as Kristen Stewart and Scarlett Johansson - and landed the female lead in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. She'll star as Lisbeth Salander in the big screen adaptation of Stieg Larsson's best-selling novel.

Mara appeared in A Nightmare on Elm Street and also has a role in this fall's The Social Network opposite Justin Timberlake.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo starts shooting next month in Sweden. Daniel Craig has already signed on as Mikael Blomkvist, while Robin Wright is rumored to play his character's love interest in the film. It will come out on December 21, 2011.

What do you think of Rooney Mara in this beloved role?