Your new Lara Croft has been found, Tomb Raider fans — and something tells us you’re going to be very, very happy about this. Ex Machina and The Danish Girl star Alicia Vikander has signed on to star in the new prequel film series being developed over at Warner Bros, Nerdist can confirm (thanks to sources close to the film). Can we get a hell to the yeah, y’all?
There aren’t too many details out yet about the film, but what we know is this: it’s slated to be a prequel story of sorts, in which we meet Lara Croft as a yet-untested raider embarking on her first adventure. So basically, Lara Croft: Origins? The last time we saw the Square Enix heroine on the big screen was with Angelina Jolie as a far more seasoned iteration of the longstanding gaming icon, known for her intelligence and athleticism as she hops around the world, venturing into all manner of ancient tombs and ruins.
The project already has a director attached—Roar Uthaug, who is already making quite the name for himself with his widely acclaimed and well-regarded thriller, The Wave. Given the need for someone with a fresh take to really upend the mantle Jolie claimed for her own long ago, this feels like an excellent choice.
As does Vikander herself, who has proven in a fairly short career (all things considered) to be a seriously formidable actress in both dramatic and genre fare. Her turn in Ex Machina blew us away, and she’s slated to star alongside Matt Damon in Jason Bourne, so we’re fairly certain her Croft is going to become a real super-shero real quick.
Now we’re just keeping our fingers crossed for a post-credits scene of her trapping her butler in the walk-in freezer.
What do you think about the casting of Vikander to the new Lara Croft film? Let us know in the comments below.
Images: Universal Pictures
Alicia Lutes is the Managing Editor of Nerdist and co-host of Fangirling. Find her on Twitter (@alicialutes) or LIVE at 4PM PST on our YouTube and Facebook pages!
