All You Need to Know About Tomb Raider 2

The Tomb Raider franchise first came to the silver screen in 2001, starring the unforgettable Angelina Jolie as protagonist Lara Croft.

It was a box office success, taking twice what it cost to make and spawning a sequel, “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life.” That was also a success, but it saw the end of the franchise for the next 15 years.

In 2018, Alicia Vikander brought the role of Lara back to life in another film titled “Tomb Raider,” but this was less of a commercial success. It grossed just $58m domestically, according to Box Office Mojo, against a budget of $94m. Worldwide, it took $274m though, meaning a sequel was always likely to follow.

That sequel has now been confirmed for March 2021, with Ben Wheatley set to direct. The 48-year-old British director is a rising star with “Sightseers,” “Kill List” and “Free Fire” amongst his previous projects. The hope is that he can help drive the franchise into the new decade and deliver the sort of success it saw when it first hit our screens. He will also collaborate with screenwriter Amy Jump, his long-term working partner and wife. The pair have been together since their college days and there is a hope they can rekindle some of the magic they delivered with Sightseers, which was met with critical acclaim.

”Tomb Raider” has been around for almost three decades now, having started life as a PlayStation and Sega Saturn game. An article by Foxy Games explains how Lara Croft first appeared in 1994, courtesy of UK game studio Core Design’s original “Tomb Raider” release. The game received worldwide critical acclaim not only for its innovative approach to game mechanics, but its positive portrayal of a female protagonist. Since then, there have been 19 different titles featuring Lara, across a broad range of platforms.

Lara Croft is the driving force behind the games and one of the main reasons it still has a strong fanbase today. Angelina Jolie took the character to a new level when transferring from video games to the big screen, and the talents of Vikander will be tested with the remake. To get the film across successfully, it will be down to her to deliver a convincing performance as the beloved Lara, something Jolie got spot on.

It is unclear yet whether the film will be based on one of the games or whether Wheatley and Jump can develop their own plotline, one that deviates from the tried and tested formula rolled out by the prequel. It leaned on the 2013 video game reboot, but did so without trying to tread new ground or introduce new ideas. With big budget Marvel Universe films delivering the thrills cinemagoers come to expect, there is a need for “Tomb Raider 2” to try something else, which the appointment of the husband and wife duo suggests it might.

Whichever direction it goes down, it is tentatively scheduled for March 19, 2021 and whatever general film buffs think of it, the film is sure to delight the hardcore Lara Croft fans who want to see her continue to thrive in common culture.