At long last. The world can go back to normal. We finally have another Tomb Raider.
And in keeping with decades-old Tomb Raider tradition, the makers of the upcoming Tomb Raider reboot have cast the most recent Best Supporting Actress winner who, unlike the character she will portray on screen, isn’t British. So just think, we came this close to getting Lupita Nyong’O as Tomb Raider. Now THAT would have been cool.
But in all fairness, Alicia Vikander is also cool. After an incredible year in which she starred in Oscar-winning sci-fi dramas (Ex Machina), Oscar-winning transexual dramas (The Danish Girl) and also The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and Seventh Son (neither of which were as bad as advertised), she’s poised for old-fashioned superstardom.
Warner Bros.
Also: Why the Violence in ‘Rise of the Tomb Raider’ Turned Me Off the Game
So it makes sense that she would accept the role of Lara Croft, a.k.a. “Tomb Raider,” to help solidify her A-list status. It’s a franchise with a lot of potential that, frankly, wasn’t realized over the course of the previous two films, which starred Angelina Jolie (who at the time was fresh off her own Best Supporting Actress Oscar win for Girl, Interrupted). There’s a lot of room for improvement, if the material is handled like a real blockbuster, and not just another Indiana Jones knockoff.
Warner Bros., MGM and GK Films have selected Roar Uthaug (The Wave) to direct the Tomb Raider reboot. Alicia Vikander reportedly beat out Star Wars: The Force Awakens star Daisy Ridley for the role. Hollywood Reporter broke the story.
William Bibbiani (everyone calls him ‘Bibbs’) is Crave’s film content editor and critic. You can hear him every week on The B-Movies Podcast and Canceled Too Soon, and watch him on the weekly YouTube series Most Craved, Rapid Reviews and What the Flick. Follow his rantings on Twitter at @WilliamBibbiani.
10 Mythical Artifacts Indiana Jones Hasn’t Discovered Yet:
Top Photo: C Flanigan/FilmMagic
10 Mythical Artifacts Indiana Jones Hasn't Discovered Yet
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Indiana Jones and the Golden Fleece
Jason and his Argonauts pursued the Golden Fleece to prove that Jason was the rightful king of Thessaly, fighting off giants with six arms, harpies and more in the process. Indiana Jones would have a heck of a time fighting off those beasts, even with his trusty whip.
Photo: 20th Century Fox
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Indiana Jones and the Hammer of Thor
Thor may be the star of his own Walt Disney franchise, but he's still a mythical being and his hammer is still a work of fiction. A crossover between Indiana Jones and the Marvel Cinematic Universe will probably never happen (although the fans would probably like it), but there's still room to explore traditional Norse mythology in a franchise where myths are very, very real.
Photo: Marvel Studios
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Indiana Jones and the Magic Lamp
Disney has told the story of the magic lamp before, and several times, but the possibilities are endless once you add Indiana Jones into the mix. If you thought Nazis and millionaires went to great lengths to recover the Holy Grail, just imagine what they'd do to acquire three all-powerful wishes.
Photo: Walt Disney
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Indiana Jones and Pandora's Box
Pandora's Box opened, and all the evils of the world spilled out. Perhaps if you found the box today, all the evils could be forced back inside, for better or worse. Indiana Jones could solve all the world's problems in a moment, or possibly make them much, much worse.
Photo: BBC
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Indiana Jones and the Philosopher's Stone
Yes, Harry Potter got there first, but the Philosopher's Stone is an ancient concept that fits tidily into Indiana Jones's own universe. Our archaeologist could pursue the artifact to stop a selfish antagonist from using it to topple the world economy (and live forever, naturally).
Photo: Warner Bros.
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Indiana Jones and the Spear of Longinus
Indiana Jones has dealt with the relics of Jesus Christ before, but in a tale that takes place during the Cold War's nuclear proliferation, the weapon that killed the Son of God might have added dramatic weight. If the Ark of the Covenant could liquify Nazis, imagine what a weapon coated in the blood of God could do...?
Photo: Funimation
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Indiana Jones and the Staff of Moses
Indiana Jones has found "The Staff of Kings" before, but that was in a video game, and Disney probably doesn't think those are canon. Regardless, the fabled walking stick that could part the Red Sea and transform into snakes is certainly a valuable artifact that belongs in a museum. Indiana Jones would risk life and limb to keep it out of the wrong hands.
Photo: Paramount Pictures
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Indiana Jones and the Sword in the Stone
In Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade our hero met a knight who found the Holy Grail, so revealing that the king who sent those knights on that quest was a real personal wouldn't be a stretch. But if Excalibur is real, where is it, and who is worthy to wield it and protect the United Kingdom? (It couldn't possibly be an American... could it?)
Photo: Walt Disney
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Indiana Jones and the Undersea Kingdom
Another archaeological myth that Indiana Jones discovered in a video game, and the subject of several drafts of never-produced Indiana Jones screenplays. Atlantis remains one of the most infamous lost treasures in the history of the world. Finding it would be damn near impossible, even for Indiana Jones, and doesn't that sound exciting?
Photo: DC Comics
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Indiana Jones and the Waters of Life
Harrison Ford will be 76 when the next Indiana Jones movie comes out, so seeking out the Fountain of Youth makes a lot of sense from his character's perspective, and might give fans a meaningful way to say goodbye to the character. Sure, Disney already told a Fountain of Youth story in the last Pirates of the Caribbean film, but nobody liked that movie anyway. Indiana Jones could make the myth his own.
Photo: Walt Disney
