Alicia Vikander Brings New Life to the Tomb Raider Reboot

It took a while for all the pieces to fall into place with the upcoming #TombRaider film, and many fans were concerned with the slow progress of the anticipated reboot. Yet the world of Lara Croft began filling out when Alicia Vikander was cast as the titular character, followed by the casting of Dominic West as Lara's father. Fans could breathe a sigh of relief as it seemed that the franchise reboot was finally gaining momentum.

Now that production is well underway, we're starting to see behind the veil and the first images are popping up across the internet of Alicia Vikander channeling the Tomb Raider that we've seen in the most recent set of video games developed by #CrystalDynamics that have given the treasure hunter a new story to quest after.

In the upcoming film, although it's still in the early stages of development, it looks as though we're in store for a grand scale adventure, just as we find in the games. The official synopsis goes like this:

Seven years after the disappearance of her father, 21-year-old Lara has refused to take the reins of his global business empire, instead working as a bike courier in London while taking college classes. Eventually she becomes inspired to investigate her father’s disappearance and travels to his last-known location: a tomb on an island somewhere off the coast of Japan. Suddenly, the stakes couldn’t be higher for Lara, who—against the odds and armed with only her sharp mind, blind faith and inherently stubborn spirit—must learn to push herself beyond her limits as she journeys into the unknown. If she survives this perilous adventure, it could be the making of her, earning her the name Tomb Raider.

Based on the synopsis, it looks like we'll find Lara Croft in an actual origin story rather than just placed into the lore of the games as we saw with the previous #AngelinaJolie driven franchise. This is a big reason why the recent video games were such a success, because we got to watch the birth of the character and likely that is what we are gearing up to see when Tomb Raider hits theaters next year.

As part of a photo op with Vanity Fair, Alicia was asked why she chose to tackle the role of one of the most beloved characters in the gaming world and her answer proves that she's the best shot at a new franchise revival.

When I was asked to take on this role I got really excited - Lara Croft is a truly iconic character. I think people can identity with her for lots of different reasons, but for me I very much see her as a model for many young women. She's trying to carve out he that have given the treasure hunter a new story to quest after.hlso has a fantastic mix of traits - tough, smart, vulnerable, plus she's kick ass! She is also uniquely different to other characters I have taken on previously. It's a lot of fun trying to get into Lara's head and the challenge of getting to grips with such a physical role is an element of this project that I find an absolute thrill.h

With her excitement to bring new life to the beloved character, it's no surprise that she looks the part. It will be exciting to see more teasers and promos as we get further into production and development.

Tomb Raider stars Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina, The Man From U.N.C.L.E), Dominic West (The Wire, Punisher: War Zone), Daniel Wu (Into the Badlands) and Walter Goggins (Justified, The Hateful Eight) and is set to release on March 16, 2018.