Rooney Mara replaces Blake Lively in Soderbergh's 'Side Effects'

It has been a very good few months for up-and-coming actress Rooney Mara. Fresh off her Oscar-nominated turn as troubled hacker Lisbeth Salander in David Fincher's "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," the in-demand actress is set to join another high profile project: Steven Soderbergh's "Side Effects." Mara replaces "Gossip Girl" star Blake Lively as the lead in the psychological thriller.

"Side Effects" follows Emily Hawkins, a distraught woman whose long incarcerated husband will soon be released from prison. In an effort to deal with her crippling anxiety, Emily turns to a powerful prescription medication that has some unfortunate (you guessed it) side effects. Mara joins a cast that includes Soderbergh alums Catherine Zeta Jones, Jude Law, and Channing Tatum (in his third inexplicable collaboration with the director).

Anyone who has seen "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" knows that "emotionally disturbed" is something that Mara plays well, but hopefully the Emily Hawkins role isn't a case of the actress being typecast. Mara is signed on for two "Dragon Tattoo" sequels, so escaping her career-defining Salander role may prove difficult.

The young actress will next be seen in Terrence Malick's "Lawless," alongside Ryan Gosling ("The Ides of March") and Christian Bale ("The Dark Knight Rises"). With lead roles in movies from acclaimed directors like Fincher, Soderbergh, and the enigmatic Malick now in her pocket, it's safe to say that Mara's career is on an upward trajectory. Not bad for someone who had only a handful of film credits to her name prior to "Dragon Tattoo," including the unfortunate "Nightmare on Elm Street" remake.