If you liked Tomb Raider 2018's take on the treasure-hunting icon Lara Croft starring Alicia Vikander, then we have bad news for you.
tomb raider 2018
As reported by Eurogamer, the Tomb Raider films are now in limbo after former IP owner MGM has lost the rights. This follows the acquisition of MGM by Amazon. As a result, the planned sequel to the 2018 reboot film (which was based on a similar 2013 reboot game, barring some differences) with Vikander is now more or less canceled. Or pending, if you're more of a positive thinker.
With the Amazon buyout of MGM, the rights to Tomb Raider films (and the sequel to Tomb Raider 2018) is now up for grabs in a bidding war. It is said that "a host of Hollywood studios" are now like sharks to a piece of meat when it comes to buying the rights to the films. As such, this could mean that any future movies featuring the IP will be once again a "complete reboot." As if we needed anything rebooted again.
It wasn't made clear which studios are actively in the hunt for the rights to Tomb Raider films. But in an article by Hollywood Reporter, it is said that the IP has now returned to GK Films and producer Graham King. It is also not known how much the film rights would cost, but we assume it's going to be a TON of money put on the table. The Tomb Raider name is a very well-known property after all.
GK Films was the first to acquire the original film rights from Square Enix back in 2011.
As for news about the planned sequel to Tomb Raider 2018 with Alicia Vikander, it is now considered as "on hold." The actress herself was asked about her thoughts on the on-again, off-again plans for the film. According to a report by Yahoo, it has been in the works since 2019 and Vikander herself says she has "no clue" about where it is headed. Though she did say that "politics" are putting the project in the stranglehold.
To cap things off, the actress said that the IP is now "in somebody else's hands." If a reboot is indeed on the horizon following the acquisition of the rights by a new company, then it is highly likely she wouldn't be returning as Lara Croft.
Read Also: Fired Assassin's Creed Director Surfaces At Tencent
Perhaps A Reboot IS What The Tomb Raider Films Need
In truth, the Tomb Raider film franchise is actually one of the foremost examples of bad video game adaptations for a lot of people.
The first two films starring Angelina Jolie were universally maligned by critics when they first came out. They also weren't really big hits at the box office. While the first film did gross over $274 million worldwide, the next one was a relative flop. Cradle Of Life only earned $160 million at the box office, and it was never followed up again.
Several years later, Alicia Vikander's take on the iconic role was slightly better-reviewed and grossed as much as the first Angelina Jolie-led film. But like every other video game movie that earned $200 million or more, Tomb Raider 2018 earned a huge chunk of its money overseas (via Forbes). While this isn't exactly a bad thing, this could indicate that the films indeed need a reality check.
Related Article: The Best Video Game Movies Of All Time