Since the mid ’90s, Lara Croft, the buxom, pistol-wielding adventuress at the center of the Tomb Raider franchise, has been a staple of gaming. The character has also been rather polarizing among critics. Some see her as a manifestation of the male gaze and an objectification of women in what remains to be a heavily male dominated industry. Others saw her as a a strong woman who wasn’t just getting by on her looks, who instead relied on her skills and ingenuity while seeking treasure around the world. Whichever side of this battle one may find themselves, you can’t deny that the character has maintained popularity for nearly twenty years. That popularity led to a pair of movies starring Angelina Jolie, released in the early 2000s. The films were mildly popular and grossed over $400 million combined.
Two years ago, Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics rebooted the game franchise of Tomb Raider to bring a newer and more realistic twist to the franchise. Their new Lara was less like Jessica Rabbit and more grounded in the proportions of a real person, as well as given a more traumatizing origin to her courageous personality. While many bemoaned the dark and gritty reboot tag on the game, many were thankful to see the iconic character finally treated as a person instead of an object. It seems this sentiment has made its way to the big screen as well.
MGM has announced they will be launching a rebooted film franchise of Tomb Raider, and screenwriter Evan Daugherty (Divergent) has been attached to write the film. No other details have been released just yet, but MGM and Square Enix seems to be determined to get the film to production quickly. The only plot details known involve a younger Lara on her first adventure. This fits the bill of the most recent game as well, and so far we can only speculate how much of a similarity the film and the game will share. Could MGM seek to sign actress Camilla Luddington (pictured below), who voiced and modeled for the newest version of Lara, for the project?
Let us know what you think in the comments below.
I agree. Lauren Cohan is a no brainer
I was hoping this would happen. I enjoy a good survivor tale, especially when it shows a female lead kicking ass! Metroid Other M was a step backward, while Tomb Raider (w/Camilla Luddington) was a running wall climb grasp the edge and rise up forward!
Lauren Cohan is British and looks like a good fit.
She’s actually American, but she grew up in England. Just throwing that out there. 🙂
this might just be me but Lauren Cohan would be a good Lara Croft. She kicks ass in TWD and the new Lara kind of looks like her.