During February’s Academy Awards ceremony, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo didn’t fare too well. Despite five nominations, the David Fincher-directed film based on Stieg Larsson’s best-selling novel of the same name took home just one Oscar (and for film editing at that). Earlier in the month, however, the movie did receive another honor: the riskiest film of 2011.
Handed out by Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company, as opposed to the Academy, this distinction may not get Best Actress nominee Rooney Mara a huge pay bump in her next role like an Oscar would. However, it is something that many on the production side are likely just as proud of.
There are few blockbusters that don’t carry huge risks. But Dragon Tattoo included motorcycle stunts, fight scenes and the logistical difficulties of filming in a foreign country. Mara is no stranger to violence and danger. She starred in the most recent A Nightmare on Elm Street movie in 2010. And she also grew up as the granddaughter to the legendary owner of the NFL’s New York Giants, the late Wellington Mara.
Even with her familiarity with Freddy Krueger and football, one aspect of the movie’s production still proved too treacherous: motorcycle riding. She learned to ride before filming began, but despite her progress from novice to borderline biker girl, the producers still chose to cut a few of the more dangerous scenes to ensure the insurance costs wouldn’t become onerous.
“Delays can cost a production millions of dollars if a cast member becomes injured and is unable to work, which can cost up to $250,000 a day for a big-budget film,” said Wendy Diaz, entertainment underwriting director at Fireman’s Fund, which also insured The Artist, which won Best Picture, and The Iron Lady, which featured Best Actress winner Meryl Streep.
With its “riskiest movie” award, Dragon Tattoo joins Salt, Inglourious Basterds, The Wrestler and Into the Wild, among others, in the Fireman’s Fund hall of fame. n