We’ve known for some time that 2018’s Tomb Raider could be getting a sequel, but today it was confirmed that Lara Croft will be definitely be making her way back to the big screen again. According to Deadline, the sequel is due to release on March 19, 2021, Ben Wheatley is set to direct, and Alice Vikander will be reprising her role as the dungeon-delving treasure hunter.
Wheatley is of course famous for his film adaptation of J.G Ballard’s dystopian novel High-Rise, and for his wonderful cult film Sightseers, about serial killer caravaners. But joining Wheatley’s production will also be scriptwriter Amy Jump, a frequent collaborator, and Graham King who is producing through his GK films’ banner.
While the recent reboots of the Tomb Raider games have found popularity, Lara Croft has had a long and troubled relationship with the big screen. The early films, like Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and its sequel, The Cradle of Life may have been okay action films, but they never managed to elevate her to critical success.
Last years’ Tomb Raider, directed by Roar Uthaug managed to gross $275 million worldwide, but continued that legacy of mixed reviews.
Though details about plot are thin on the ground right now, with a cult director like Wheatley at the helm, perhaps we can hold out hope that someone might finally do the ruin-robbing heroine justice. Production begins early next year.