Just yesterday The Playlist uncovered during an interview with the filmmaker that Rooney Mara had dropped out of “Emanuel and the Truth About Fishes”, an indie drama that would have reunited her with “Tanner Hall” director Francesca Gregorini. Well, it didn’t take long for the filmmakers to find a replacement, as Variety reports British up and comer Kaya Scodelario will now take the title role instead.

According to Gregorini’s interview with The Playlist, age was the issue that caused Mara to ultimately pass on the project. The character, Emanuel, is a troubled seventeen year old girl who agrees to babysit her strange neighbor’s “baby”, which is in fact just a life-like doll. Meanwhile, the neighbor herself is the spitting image of Emanuel’s dead mother. Though Mara is a youthful-looking 26 and had played teenagers in all her projects prior to “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”, it’s undeniable that fresh-faced 19 year old Scodelario is a much more natural fit. The project with Mara in the title role had been gearing up for a shoot this past summer, but will now be filmed in early 2012.

Scodelario, a fan favorite on British teen series “Skins”, was amongst many girls who may or may not have come close to landing the role of Katniss in “The Hunger Games”, which went to Jennifer Lawrence. But Scodelario herself had quite a year when she starred as Cathy in Andrea Arnold’s new and innovative retelling of Emily Bronte classic “Wuthering Heights.” She recently wrapped up teen drama “Now is Good” opposite Dakota Fanning and Jeremy Irvine.