Tomb Raider: Reign of Chaos, starring Alicia Vikander as world-renowned explorer Lara Croft, was one of many video game movies that graced the silver screen in the last decade. For a while, there was talk of a sequel to that film, but those plans have now come to an abrupt and unexpected end. After losing the film rights to Tomb Raider, which was reported exclusively by The Wrap, MGM has now been forced into a major bidding war for the well-known video game property. There are a few studios interested, and the next film will be a complete reimagining, according to reports. In other words, Vikander is no longer a part of this, which is a real shame. A sequel to the 2018 film has been in development since the beginning of 2019, so this news comes as a surprise. Lovecraft Country’s Misha Green is set to return to direct the sequel, which has been stuck in development hell for most of the past year.
However, the first draught of the film was completed as early as May 2021. While Vikander has stated numerous times that she hopes to reprise her role in the sequel, she’s also very vocal about her desire to do so. However, because Tomb Raider 2, tentatively titled “Obsidian,” was never officially greenlit, this is no longer the case. As previously stated, MGM had until May of this year to get the film approved. Currently, there is no official word on who will play Lara Croft in the upcoming film or who will direct it. It’s fair to say that Lara Croft will always be a video game star first, but the 2018 reboot of this film series was a surprising great action-adventure film that did an excellent job of adapting the 2013 game reboot very well.
Vikander’s performance was largely responsible for the success of the film. Even though the movie only cost $94 million to produce, it was a modest box office success, grossing $274 million worldwide. As a result of the two Angelina Jolie films, the franchise has grossed over $700 million. Lara Croft has a devoted fanbase, so a movie adaptation is still a possibility. Uncharted, the first film in another massive video game franchise, debuted in theatres earlier this year and grossed over $400 million. Tomb Raider 2’s potential box office success would surely be enhanced by such a critical and commercial triumph.
Tomb Raider is one of the few game brands that has made its way into a popular culture outside of gaming. This is a long-running series with more than two dozen games and just celebrated its 25th birthday. That’s why it’s strange that MGM couldn’t find a story they were happy with greenlighting in all the time they had. However, as the bidding war heats up, little information is known about the future of the Tomb Raider film franchise. Fans can hope that this means a new adventure will be released as soon as possible. The second major change in recent months: Embracer Group purchased the studio behind the recent Tomb Raider reboot game series in May. Until further notice, you can watch Angelina Jolie’s two Tomb Raider films on HBO Max.