Alicia Vikander Cast As Star Lara Croft in ‘Tomb Raider’ Reboot
After gaining much critical acclaim for her performances in Alex Garland’s “Ex Machina,” Guy Ritchie’s “The Man From U.N.C.L.E,” and Tom Hooper’s “The Danish Girl,” for which she won the Best Supporting Actress award at last year’s Oscars, Swedish import Alicia Vikander will soon take the next big step into big-budget franchise fare. Deadline reports that Vikander has been cast as archaeologist-adventurer Lara Croft in the new “Tomb Raider” reboot, which will tell the story of Croft’s first adventure. Though rumors swirled that many actresses were being considered for the main role, including “Star Wars” actress Daisy Ridley, ballet-trained Vikander eventually landed the part instead.
The “Tomb Raider” video game franchise has already spawned two prior film adaptations starring Angelina Jolie as Croft: 2001’s “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider” and 2003’s “Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life.” The video game series itself was recently rebooted in 2013. Co-produced by MGM and Warner Bros., the new “Tomb Raider” film will be directed by Norwegian filmmaker Roar Uthaug (Oscar submission “The Wave”) and written by Geneva Robertson-Dworet, who’s also attached to write the fifth “Transformers” movie. Meanwhile, Vikander will appear in many films before “Tomb Raider,” including the newest “Jason Bourne” movie, and Derek Cianfrance’s “The Light Between The Oceans,” opposite Michael Fassbender and Rachel Weisz.
WATCH: Alicia Vikander’s Journey to ‘The Danish Girl’
READ MORE: Alicia Vikander on Playing a Robot in ‘Ex Machina’
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