April 28--Ready your sidearms, Academy Award-winning actress Alicia Vikander has been tapped to play Lara Croft in the upcoming "Tomb Raider" movie.
This new "Tomb Raider," from MGM, Warner Bros. and GK Films, will tell the story of a young Croft setting off on her first adventure. Yep, folks, it's another origin story.
The original "Tomb Raider" video game was released in 1996. It introduced the world to Croft, the dual gun-wielding English archaeologist whose action-filled adventures involve exploring hazardous ancient tombs. The first game was published by Eidos Interactive, which is now part of Square Enix. The video game series was rebooted in 2013 and the most recent installment is "Rise of the Tomb Raider," which was initially released in 2015 for the Xbox 360 and Xbox One.
Croft made her big-screen debut in 2001 in Paramount's "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider," where she was played by Angelina Jolie. The film, along with its 2003 sequel, "Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life," grossed a combined $431.2 million worldwide.
Vikander had a busy 2015. In addition to her Oscar-winning turn as Gerda Wegener in "The Danish Girl," her portrayal of Ava in "Ex Machina" earned her a Golden Globe nomination. Vikander also appeared in "Testament of Youth," "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." and "Burnt" last year. Her upcoming projects include "The Light Between Oceans," "Jason Bourne" and "Submerge." And now she will rocket up the sides of a pyramid and shoot ancient artifacts in the face as Lara Croft.
"The Wave's" Roar Uthuag will direct this new "Tomb Raider," with Graham King attached to produce. MGM and Warner Bros. are co-producing the film, with MGM overseeing production.
Twitter: @tracycbrown
