While it looked set that Star Wars fan-favorite Daisy Ridley would clinch the title part, it’s been revealed that Alicia Vikander has landed the role in Warner Bros.’ Tomb Raider reboot.
Vikander, the seemingly omnipresent Swede who continues to snap up enviable roles left, right, and center, is now primed to pick up the dual pistols and iconic tank top as Lara Croft, the beloved archaeologist that remains a bona fide mascot in the video game industry two decades after her debut.
That in large part comes down to Crystal Dynamics’ overhauled series – one that Warner Bros. will reportedly be taking cues from going into the live-action feature. Placing Norwegian filmmaker Roar Uthaug (The Wave) behind the lens, we suspect that Vikander has been tapped to spearhead an origins story about the young, rookie explorer – much like the narrative that underpinned Crystal’s acclaimed 2013 reboot, mind you – though story details are practically non-existent at such an early stage.
MGM and Warner Bros are co-producing the long-gestating Tomb Raider movie, and though Ridley appeared as an early frontrunner for the role of Miss. Croft, it seems her continued commitment to the Star Wars universe has taken priority. As for Alicia Vikander, the actress’ meteoric rise only continues to astound, with 2016 serving up period drama Tulip Fever, a key role opposite Matt Damon in Universal’s Jason Bourne and The Light Between Oceans, where she stars alongside real-life partner Michael Fassbender who, incidentally, headlines his own video game adaptation later this year with Justin Kurzel’s Assassin’s Creed.
Roar Uthaug’s Tomb Raider movie has been tentatively placed for a release on October 6, 2017. But what are your early impressions of Vikander’s casting?