Revealed: Scarlett Johansson missed out on role in Girl With The Dragon Tattoo because she's 'too sexy'

Too sexy? , pictured here at an Oscar party in February, lost out on a role in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo because of her racy image

Is it possible to be too sexy?
If you’re and trying to land the lead in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, apparently it is.
Director David Fincher said the actress took a great run at the role of the mysterious computer hacker, which went to Rooney Mara instead.
Mara is starring opposite Daniel Craig in the Millennium trilogy, the first instalment of which is shooting in Sweden and will be released in December by Sony.
 'It was a great audition,' Fincher says of Johannson in the new edition of Vogue, 'but the thing with Scarlett is, you can’t wait for her to take her clothes off.'
Fincher opted for Mara over Johannson in part because he feared audiences would be distracted by the high-profile and gorgeous Johannson.
Some other relative newcomers including France's Lea Seydoux and Aussies Sarah Snook and Sophie Lowe were also considered before he chose Mara, who had a role in Fincher's film The Social Network.
Mara’s only other starring role was in last year’s remake of The Nightmare on Elm Street.
The 26-year-old is immersing herself in the role Vogue called 'the most sought-after role since Scarlett O’Hara in Gone With the Wind.'
She underwent a total makeover to take on the look and attitude of the edgy Lisbeth Sanders, including newly shaved black hair, bleached brows and piercings of her nipple, lip, nose and brow.

In demand: Rooney Mara beat out tough competition for the role of Lisbeth Sanders in Hollywood film

'I went in looking like Erica Albright (her Social Network character) and came out looking like this,' Mara said of her transformation.

Tough choice: David Fincher, pictured here on set in Stockholm in May, was impressed by Scarlett's audition, but was concerned the audience would be waiting for her to 'take her clothes off'

The director likened the role to that of the ultimately lovable alien in Steven Spielberg’s iconic film E.T., and said properly introducing and marketing the high-profile character will be critical.
'If you put E.T. dolls out before anyone had seen the movie, they would say, "What is this little squishy thing?" Well, you know what? When he hides under the table and he grabs the Reese's Pieces (candy), you love him! It has to be like that.'
Swedish actress Noomi Rapace starred as Lisbeth in the first film based on the Millennium trilogy from Swedish author Stieg Larsson, who died in 2004.
That Swedish-language version was a critical and box office hit in Europe in 2010.
Johansson will next be seen in the Christmas release We Bought A Zoo and is currently working on The Avengers, which is due in May 2012.