The long-anticipated Tomb Raider sequel is officially dead as a bidding war erupts over the film franchise rights.
Tomb Raider is one of the biggest and most beloved adventure video game franchises. The game series started in 1996 and has since then gotten over ten AAA titles and multiple smaller games. The successful adventure game series has also gotten the big screen treatment with 3 film adventures and two different Lara Croft’s.
The Tomb Raider Mantle Is Now Vacant
After a fourth film was long planned, The Wrap now exclusively reports that the project is now officially dead as the film studio MGM has lost the film franchise rights. The report states that MGM had until May of this year to greenlight a sequel to the 2018 film and now the window passed. That sparked a bidding war for the IP in which multiple studios are involved.
Alicia Vikander, who played Lara Croft in the 2018 film is no longer attached to the project and it is now being sold as a complete reboot with no casting or director commitments. After MGM has lost the rights, they reverted back to the game company, which made a deal with Graham King’s production company GK Films, which acquired the rights from Square Enix back in 2011, to rep the IP.
Before the project was canceled, the film was developed by Misha Green. The creator of Lovecraft Country wrote the screenplay and was set to direct the film. Pre-production was also going along well as multiple crew members joined the sequel. Green is currently working on a Birds of Prey spin-off film focusing on Jurnee Smollett’s Black Canary.
The 2018 Tomb Raider film earned nearly $275 Million at the global box office. The reboot starred Academy Award Winner Alicia Vikander as the adventuring, Lara Croft. It was directed by Roar Uthaug and premiered to mediocre critics and audience reception. Dominic West, Walton Goggins, and Kristin Scott Thomas also starred in the adventure film.
The first Tomb Raider film adaptation premiered back in 2001 and starred Angelina Jolie in the titular role. Two years later it also got a sequel called Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life. Both films got bad ratings with critics and audiences, but still managed to earn a combined $475 Million at the global box office.
Netflix is currently developing an animated Tomb Raider series, which will have Hayley Atwell’s voice as Lara Croft. Atwell is known for her role as Peggy Carter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and will also star in the highly anticipated Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One.
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This news is quite surprising as it seemed like the production on the just canceled Tomb Raider sequel is going along quite well, granted a bit slow but I thought that this film would happen. I enjoyed 2018’s Tomb Raider film and Alicia Vikander was a great choice for a young Lara Croft. It’s disappointing that she won’t be back, as she would have deserved another shot. Misha Green would also have been an exciting choice in the directing chair.
But on the other hand, I’m quite intrigued to see which Studio secures the rights to the franchise. It’ll also be exciting to see who gets cast as the new Lara Croft and if this property can make a splash again. While we don’t know which studio is taking part in the bidding war, I’d predict either Netflix or Sony Pictures to secure the rights.
What do you guys think? Did you like Alicia Vikander’s Lara Croft? Are you sad about this news? Who do you want to see be the next Tomb Raider? Let’s discuss everything in the comments down below and on our Social Media.
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Source: Deadline
