A fourth Girl with the Dragon Tattoo novel is to be written, Digital Spy said.

The trilogy, originally penned by Stieg Larsson, will now be extended by fellow Swedish writer David Lagercrantz.

In 2004, Larsson passed away at the age of 50 and had begun writing a fourth novel.

According to the book's Swedish publishers, Lagercrantz's novel - about characters Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist - is due to be published in August 2015.

Speaking about the project, Lagercrantz said he has "already started writing it", adding: "It's terribly fun. It's a fantastic world to step into."

However, Larsson's partner Eva Gabrielsson described the new venture as "distasteful".

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo movie actress Rooney Mara recently said she is still hopeful that the next instalment in the film series will see the light of day.