Last week, Emma Watson abruptly chopped off her longish hair. She posted the above photo on her Facebook page, and mentioned something about how she “fancied a change” and that’s why the dramatically shorter locks. But, according to British sources, Emma chopped off her hair because she wanted to prove to director David Fincher that she was hardcore enough to transform herself for the part of a lifetime: Lisbeth Salander in The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. OK UK’s source says: “Emma has auditioned with director David Fincher and cut her hair to look the part. The character of Lisbeth is a misfit with spikey hair.”

Honestly, it takes more than a haircut to prove that you’re hardcore enough to play Lisbeth, but since my instant reaction to this gossip wasn’t absolute revulsion, let’s examine the idea of Emma getting the part, shall we?

A few days ago Emma Watson got a pixie cut, an event that hardly qualified as newsworthy even by our abysmally low standards. But, as it turns out, there really is a story behind the new ‘do. Apparently Ms. Watson is gunning for the lead role of Lisbeth Salander in Stieg Larsson’s Millenium trilogy. The books have sold umpty-million copies worldwide, and a Swedish film version was released last year. But, since Hollywood devoutly believes that Americans fear subtitles as much as they love 3D (wrong on both counts, Hollywood honchos), a big-budget American remake is in the works. This is a big deal. The Lisbeth Salander role is probably the hottest female role out there right now, and whoever gets it is virtually guaranteed a three-picture deal in what promises to be a phenomenally profitable franchise, starting with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Daniel Craig has signed to play Miikael Blomkvist, the leading male role, which all but guarantees some serious box office action.

Emma has already auditioned with director David Fincher—a name that provides yet another indication that this project is kind of a big deal. Considering that her competition is Natalie Portman (too old), Ellen Page (too cute), Kristen Stewart (can’t act), and Carey Mulligan (a bit of a wild card), Emma might actually have a shot. If she does get the role, it will definitively kill her wholesome Hermione Granger image. As OK Magazine notes in the link above: “Throughout the films, Lisbeth is involved in some racy scenes with both men and women, including a graphic and violet [sic] bedroom scene.” We know how Emma looks with short hair, and we might yet find out how she looks in purple.

[From Agent Bedhead]

Graphic and violent? Uh, yeah. But Lisbeth isn’t a victim. Never. While I think very highly of little Emma, I am unsure that she would be able to pull off the character of Lisbeth without falling into The Girlish Trap. You know what that is. The trap that so many actresses fall into, the trap of not wanting to be emasculating, of always wanting to be sympathetic, or always wanting the audience to like you. Lisbeth is not sympathetic, at least not in an conventional sense. She’s someone to be feared and admired and held at a distance. She’s dangerous and brilliant and fascinating and not girlish at all. And when I see Emma, I just want to give her a hug. Just because she’s so cute.

But on that one note, about Emma’s beauty: that’s the one thing that would actually make me think Emma’s got a good shot. I think she’s cute and pretty, but she tends to have a kind of non-descript prettiness that could very easily be “average” or “meh”. Lisbeth needs that. She doesn’t need a beauty queen playing the part. Plus, Emma does still look kind of like a kid – which Lisbeth does too. I don’t know… thoughts?