Lara Croft’s entourage of daring explorers has made room for one more today, as Variety reports that Daniel Wu of Into the Badlands and Warcraft fame has signed on for the upcoming Tomb Raider movie.
Currently set for March 2018, Wu will now rub shoulders with Alicia Vikander and Django Unchained star Walton Goggins, with the latter on board as the film’s mystery villain. Norwegian director Roar Uthaug has been appointed at the helm, and it appears as though it’s only a matter of time before the cameras begin rolling. As for Wu’s character, Variety notes that the actor will play the part of Lu Ren, a ship captain who partners with Miss. Croft on a quest to find her wayward father.
Richard James Croft is a figure that has cropped up in conversation before, when previous interviews teased the ways in which Uthaug’s reboot will take Lara Croft back to her roots. Crystal Dynamics’ critically-adorned video game franchise has also been labeled as the primary source of inspiration, while Goggins also pinpointed Raiders of the Lost Ark and Victory: An Island Tale as creative touchstones.
Out of the two, Indiana Jones is naturally the more tangible reference for moviegoers, and though Lara Croft and Indy are totally different in the character department, it does present some exciting food for thought. A missing father figure will no doubt lend Tomb Raider its emotional heart, and we fully expect Warner Bros. and MGM to announce several new additions to the cast before production begins in earnest.
Will Tomb Raider be the one to finally dispel the video game movie curse once and for all? We’ll find out on March 16, 2018.