Despite being almost universally panned by critics across the globe, the first Tomb Raider movie was a hit with fans, did well at the box office (well enough to still be counted amongst the top grossing video game adaptations of all time), and garnered a second sequel that was also panned by critics, but unfortunately didn’t sit as well with the fans; something that left the idea of a third movie somewhat up in the air, until recently.
Perhaps the biggest roadblock in producing a third Tomb Raider movie; which would once again be based on the successful video game franchise, about a busty archeologist who goes looking for treasure in remote locations, and often ends up battling both secret societies and some form of supernatural entity; came when series star Angelina Jolie (The Tourist) stated she had no desire to return to the franchise, and didn’t “need to do another one”; a roadblock that may soon be overcome, as replacement actresses are now being considered.
There’s been little in the way of forward movement since Warner Bros. acquired the rights to the franchise a few years ago (shortly before announcing they were looking to produce a third movie), but rumours have now surfaced (on The Fan Carpet) suggesting that not only is production continuing, but that bosses are apparently keen on casting Olivia Wilde as the next Lara Croft (the action heroine who headlines the Tomb Raider franchise.
Since being cast in TV series House (as bi-sexual Doctor 13) Wilde’s career has sky-rocketed, and seen her cast in a number of recently released and upcoming movies; such as The Next Three Days, Welcome to People, Now, Cowboys and Aliens, and of course Tron: Legacy (the role which is apparently fueling the studio’s interest in her); and whilst she doesn’t have the figure of the famed archeologist extraordinaire, studios already agree she has bankable sex-appeal, and would correlate with the more realistic tone seen in the upcoming video game reboot.
So far we’re still yet to have a writer or director named, and despite reportedly quoting an unnamed source who is ‘close to the project’; as saying that not only will Warner’s Tomb Raider reboot be “darker and more serious” than those that have gone before (something the studio implied over two years ago), but that although several names are “being suggested” for the lead role, Olivia “appears to be ideal”; it would be best to treat any emerging reports as pure rumour, until an official confirmation can be obtained.
