‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ (‘Millennium’) Series in Order – All 7 Books & 5 Movies

The New York Times Best Seller Book, ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo’ series, has crashed onto the bookshelf of every reader who likes to grip into a rip-roaring atmosphere, where the clouds are packed with a thrill, the smoke is filled with mysteries, and the air gives a smell of revenge. Lisbeth Salander, the strongest character of the story, has several titles to her name.

There are seven books in total written in the ‘Millennium’ series by three different writers. Since Stieg Larsson died before he could write sequels to the first three books, David Lagercrantz took on the task of finishing the series, and Karin Smirnoff wrote the seventh book. As for the movies, there are two movies in the franchise when it comes to American adaptations, and three Swedish movies released between 2009

Editor’s Note: These reading & watch orders were updated in November 2023 and represent the most up-to-date state of the franchise.

All 7 ‘The Girl With the Dragon Tatto’ books in release date order

As we’ve already mentioned, there are seventh books released as of November 2023. Only the first three were Stieg Larsson and were released between 2005 and 2007. David Lagercrantz wrote the books released between 2015 and 2019, with Karin Smirnoff writing the book released in 2022. Here’s the release date order:

1. ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ (2005) – Stieg Larsson
2. ‘The Girl Who Played With Fire’ (2006) – Stieg Larsson
3. ‘The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest’ (2007) – Stieg Larsson
4. ‘The Girl in the Spider’s Web’ (2015) – David Lagercrantz
5. ‘The Girl Who Takes an Eye for an Eye’ (2017) – David Lagercrantz
6. ‘The Girl Who Lived Twice’ (2019) – David Lagercrantz
7. ‘The Girl in the Eagle’s Talons’ (2022) – Karin Smirnoff

Are all ‘Millennium’ books connected? What’s the best order to read them?

The first three books in the series are definitely connected. However, While Lagercrantz took over the series, his books are not direct continuations of Larsson’s work, and some fans have differing opinions on how well they capture the essence of the original trilogy. So, although they are a part of the same continuity, they are authored by different writers, and Lagercrantz didn’t even try to imitate Larsson’s style of writing. The same goes for the last book in the series released in 2022.

With all of this said, it’s best to read the books in their release date order.

All 7 ‘Millennium’ books in chronological order

Although ‘Millennium’ books have some of the most complex storylines imaginable, the continuity and timeline are not at all difficult to follow. The original trilogy forms a continuous narrative with a cohesive storyline. Characters undergo development, and events in one book directly impact the subsequent ones. The release date order maintains the natural flow of the story as intended by the original author. Lagercrantz’s additions, while continuing the series, might have a different style or focus. The same goes for ‘The Girl in the Eagle’s Talons’ as well. So, you should start with the original trilogy and end with the book released in 2022.

Will there be more ‘Millennium’ books?

As of November 2021, the publishing house Polaris secured the rights to the series from Larsson’s estate and revealed plans for a fresh trilogy of books authored by Swedish writer Karin Smirnoff. The first book has already been released which means that the ‘Millennium’ series will get two more books in the next couple of years.

All 5 ‘The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo’ movies in release date order

Now, we move on to the movies. The first ‘Millennium’ live-action series was developed and released in Sweden. The first movie was first imagined as a TV movie, but due to its massive success, it got a theatrical release and two additional movies. Those three movies were then subsequently broken down into six installments and were aired as “mini-series” so don’t let that confuse you. American ‘Millennium’ movies were released between 2011 and 2018 and follow the first installment of Larsson’s book and the first installment of Lagercrantz’s book.

1. ‘The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo’ (February 2009) – Swedish
2. ‘The Girl Who Played With Fire’ (September 2009) – Swedish
3. ‘The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest’ (November 2009) – Swedish
4. ‘The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo’ (2011) – American
5. ‘The Girl in the Spider’s Web’ (2018) – American

Are all ‘Millennium’ movies connected? What’s the best order to watch them in?

All ‘Millennium’ movies were adaptations of the same source material, but not all of them are connected. The first three Swedish movies were direct adaptations of the first three books in the series written by Larsson and as such should be watched in release date order. The American version of ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’, while also based on the first book, lies completely separate from the Swedish version.

‘The Girl in the Spider’s Web’, released in 2018, is actually as soft reboot of the first movie and based on the fourth book in the series.

All 5 ‘Millennium’ movies in chronological order

As far as the chronology goes, the release date order is the way to go. Only the Swedish adaptations have some sort of chronology to follow, as the movies are direct sequels. The American adaptations are almost “standalone” movies, with the second movie serving as a soft reboot.

Where to watch the above-mentioned movies?

‘The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo’ (2009) and ‘The Girl Who Played With Fire’ (2009) can be streamed on Fubo or purchased on Amazon. ‘The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest’ (2009) can be streamed on AMC+. ‘The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo’ (2011) and ‘The Girl in the Spider’s Web’ (2018) can be streamed on Starz.

Will there be more ‘Millennium’ movies?

After successfully adapting ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,’ director David Fincher and screenwriter Steven Zaillian signed a two-picture deal to bring Stieg Larsson’s sequels, ‘The Girl Who Played with Fire’ and ‘The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest,’ to the big screen, with plans to potentially shoot them consecutively. However, in January 2012, Sony announced its commitment to adapting the sequels. Zaillian penned the original screenplays, but the studio enlisted Andrew Kevin Walker for revisions. Despite initial intentions to maintain continuity with the original film—having Fincher direct and starring Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara—the projects faced delays and ultimately fell through. In the future? Who Knows? We will certainly update you with any news.

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