It's been almost 15 years since fans of action adventure video games got to see iconic character Lara Croft on the big screen, but come 2018, Oscar winner Alicia Vikander will be stepping into Angelina Jolie's former role as the character gets rebooted for a brand-new movie (and a slew of sequels, because obviously). Vanity Fair has the first images of Vikander as ass-kicking Croft — and it'll give Tomb Raider fans everywhere reason to freak out.
Much like the world of big-budget Hollywood films, video games aren't immune to reboots. Vikander's Croft isn't just a continuation of Jolie's version. Back in 2013, Ubisoft and SquareEnix, the publishers behind the Tomb Raider video games, started all over with a brand-new take on Lara Croft. Appropriately named Tomb Raider, the game centred on a Lara Croft that was more about survival than sex appeal.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
The 2018 film, titled Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, should follow the storyline of the 2013 game (and perhaps its sequel, 2015's Rise of the Tomb Raider). And with that clean slate comes a new backstory. Instead of just playing a sultry archeologist, Vikander's version will focus on a missing father and forging an identity of her own instead of taking on the family business. As she investigates her father's mysterious disappearance, Croft finds herself on a remote Japanese island with, ahem, a tomb that needs exploring.
It's a stark 180 for Vikander, who was last in the period drama The Danish Girl (and Ex Machina before that — talk about range). She's traded in those long dresses for Croft's signature tank top and cargo pants. She embraced the change, though, telling VF that it wasn't just the character, but the physicality that drew her to the role.
"When I was asked to take on this role I got really excited — Lara Croft is a truly iconic character," Vikander told Vanity Fair. "I think people can identify with her for lots of different reasons, but for me I very much see her as a model for many young women. She's trying to carve out her place in the world and connect her future with her past. She also has a fantastic mix of traits — tough, smart, vulnerable, plus she’s kick ass! She is also uniquely different to other characters I have taken on previously. It's a lot of fun trying to get into Lara’s head and the challenge of getting to grips with such a physical role is an element of this project that I find an absolute thrill."
We'll see Vikander take on the island with nothing but her wits (and a bow and arrow) when Lara Croft: Tomb Raider backflips into cinemas in March 2018.