New York born Rooney Mara will play the leading role of Lisbeth Salander in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, the Hollywood adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s best-selling novel The Millennium Trilogy.

Rooney beat out such hopefuls as Natalie Portman, Ellen Page and Carey Mulligan for the coveted role.

You will soon also be seeing Rooney starring alongside Justin Timberlake in The Social Network.

The movie will begin shooting in Sweden in September and is expected to be released December 21, 2011.

Ok I’m going to ask what you all are thinking:  who the hell names their kid Rooney?

Photo:  WENN