The video game genre has endured decades worth of bashing from both film critics, audiences, and gamers. The sub-genre has produced some of the biggest duds of all-time ranging from Super Mario Bros to last year’s Assassin’s Creed. However, not every video game movie has flopped.
A movie that’s often overlooked is the 2001’s Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. The movie starred Angelina Jolie in the title role, which managed to have the biggest opening of all-time for a film with a female protagonist, with a $48 million dollar opening. The movie spawned a less successful sequel which helped push the franchise into obscurity for the next decade. However, a reboot is currently being filmed with Academy Award winner Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl) in the role of Lara Croft.
Once again there is a new hope for the genre as the new movie gets its inspiration from the recently released Tomb Raider reboot for next generation game systems. The game tracks her development from a sheltered daughter of an aristocrat, to a victim of a shipwreck, to a physically able adventurer and warrior. The movie began filming a few days ago and thanks to Twitter account Alicia Vikander Daily, we have our first look at the productions.
🔸🔹 Alicia Vikander on set of Tomb Raider!!! pic.twitter.com/SV2NVXNdwX
— AliciaVikander Daily (@AliciaVikanderD)
Vikander looks nearly identical to her video game counter part, which signals an adaptation that sticks closely to its source material. The movie is directed by relative newcomer Roar Uthaug (The Wave) and also features Dominic West (The Wire) and Walton Goggins (The Hateful Eight). In an interview with Collider, Goggins shed more light on the upcoming action movie:
“I’m just so excited about it! I’m such a big fan of Alicia and this director, Roar [Uthaug]. Quite honestly, the script feels like it’s already been in the world, in some ways. The structure and the foundation of this story is so solid and so interesting. It’s so unbelievably entertaining, and yet it’s real in the journey that it takes you on. And this person that I get to play is confused and angry and desperate. I’m just looking forward to getting in his head. I’m really, really, really excited about it.”
It sounds as if Uthaug is striving to make something more than another cookie cutter video game movie. It’s even more encouraging to hear that Goggins is so impressed by the story (and hopefully the script too by extension.) There is a lot more to come on this production, so make sure to keep checking in.
Tomb Raider is set for release on March 16th, 2018.
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Source: Collider