Production Roundup: Visnjic joins "Tattoo", Black may forge new "Iron Man"

According to Deadline, Goran Visnjic has joined the cast of David Fincher's adaptation of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Visnjic, a handsome actor whose name I cannot possibly pronounce properly, is best known for playing Dr. Luka Kovac on ER.

He has been cast as Dragan Armansky, the CEO of the security/private investigation firm that employs Lisbeth Salander. In the novels, Armansky is a pretty major supporting character, appearing all three books and one of Salander and Blomkvist's main allies. However, in the Swedish films, the role was reduced to basically a one scene cameo.

Visnjic joins a cast that already includes Rooney Mara as Salander, Daniel Craig as Blomkvist, and Robin Wright, Stellan Skarsgard, Christopher Plummer and Joely Richardson. Given the pedigree of the director, the popularity of the book, and the casting, this is already one of the most anticipated films out there.

Meanwhile, Shane Black is being rumoured as one of the front-runners to take over the Iron Man franchise from departing director Jon Favreau. Black was one of the most successful screenwriters of the 1980s, with his script for Lethal Weapon pretty much defining the buddy cop movie. He was also one of the most controversial, as he helped elevate the fees top screenwriters were paid to epic proportions. He would flame out in the 1990s with several costly screenplays that didn't connect with audiences, notably Last Action Hero and The Long Kiss Goodnight.

After those flops, he virtually disappeared from Hollywood for almost a decade. He returned in 2005 with Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, a frenetic and witty reinterpretation of the buddy cop genre he helped create. Starring Robert Downey Junior and Val Kilmer, the film was well-received critically, and helped re-ignite Downey's career. It also brought Black back into the limelight, and gave him plenty of plaudits for the film, his directorial debut.

I think he could really be a great fit for Iron Man. He can really write for Downey's style, and he has absolutely no trouble with action. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang was one of my favourite action movies of the last few years, and I'd love to see him reinvigorate the franchise after the disappointing second film.