Amazon is set to reboot the world of Tomb Raider into a brand new universe for audiences to enjoy. However, it seems as though previous Lara Croft actress Alicia Vikander wants another shot at the role.
Last year, it was revealed that MGM lost the rights to the Tomb Raider franchise, leading to them being picked up by Amazon Prime Video. The studio wasted no time capitalizing on their new property, quickly announcing a new TV series by Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge, a brand new movie, and a video game all connected in a single Tomb Raider universe.
This isn’t the first time a studio has attempted to make a franchise out of Tomb Raider. Back in 2018 MGM released their own film starring Alicia Vikander, with a sequel being put into production soon after its release. However, conflicts between Vikander and director Misha Green reportedly stalled the project before MGM lost the rights to the franchise. However, Vikander says she’d be eager to return as Lara Croft:
“I mean, I thought we were very much [good to go]; we had a director and writer,” Vikander told Variety. “But yeah, for me, that was another one of those childhood dreams — to portray an action character was awesome, and beyond what I ever thought I would do. And I think the physical part is something that I really enjoyed. So, yeah, if another opportunity like that came again, I’ll be interested.”
While it’s not unheard of for an actor to reprise their role in a reboot of a franchise, 2018’s Tomb Raider film received middling reviews and didn’t strike gold at the box office, meaning that Alicia Vikander’s time as Lara Croft is likely far behind her. It’s currently unclear who will take up the mantle for Amazon’s new universe.
The Rise of The Tomb Raider
It was announced in early 2023 that, following their acquisition of the rights from MGM, Amazon Prime Video would reboot the Tomb Raider franchise for modern audiences. This includes a new movie, video game, and TV show all connected under one universe. Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge is set to pen the series. There is currently no actress attached to the role of Lara Croft.
The last attempt to create a franchise out of the Tomb Raider series was in 2018, starring Alicia Vikander as Lara Croft. A sequel for the film was in development, though fell apart following clashes between the star and director Misha Green.
Here is the official synopsis for Alicia Vikander’s Tomb Raider film:
Lara Croft (played by Oscar winner Alicia Vikander) is the fiercely independent daughter of an eccentric adventurer who vanished when she was scarcely a teen. Now a young woman of 21 without any real focus or purpose, Lara navigates the chaotic streets of trendy East London as a bike courier, barely making the rent, and takes college courses, rarely making it to class. Determined to forge her own path, she refuses to take the reins of her father’s global empire just as staunchly as she rejects the idea that he’s truly gone. Advised to face the facts and move forward after seven years without him, even Lara can’t understand what drives her to finally solve the puzzle of his mysterious death.
Going explicitly against his final wishes, she leaves everything she knows behind in search of her dad’s last-known destination: a fabled tomb on a mythical island that might be somewhere off the coast of Japan. But her mission will not be an easy one; just reaching the island will be extremely treacherous. Suddenly, the stakes couldn’t be higher for Lara, who—against the odds and armed with only her sharp mind, blind faith and inherently stubborn spirit—must learn to push herself beyond her limits as she journeys into the unknown. If she survives this perilous adventure, it could be the making of her, earning her the name tomb raider.
Directed by Roar Uthaug, Tomb Raider stars Alicia Vikander, Daniel Wu, Derek Jacobi, Dominic West, Hannah John-Kamen, Kristin Scott, and Walton Goggins.
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