Danish Girl star Alicia swaps paint brushes for pistols to play Lara Croft

Oscar winner Alicia Vikander is to follow in Angelina Jolie’s footsteps by taking on the role of Lara Croft in a new Tomb Raider film. The Swedish actress will appear in the latest outing for the all-action archaeologist following the young Croft as she sets off on her first adventure. She was said to have pipped the likes of Daisy Ridley, Emilia Clarke, Cara Delevigne and Gemma Arterton to the role. It will be a step up into the Hollywood front line for the 28-year-old, who won a best supporting actress Oscar this year for playing an artist Gerda Wegener in The Danish Girl.

She’s a human being and that’s central. She has to feel grounded even though she’s doing fantastical things. Lara feels very current and modern

Video game director Bryan Horton, when the Tom Raider series was rebooted in 2013

The original Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, starring Jolie and based on the 1996 video game, was released in 2001 and the sequel two years later. The films were not hits with the critics but did perform well at the box office, with the original taking $275 million worldwide. There has been speculation about a sequel since MGM acquired the film rights in 2012. Vikander also stars opposite Matt Damon in the new Jason Bourne movie and in the period drama Tulip Fever, both out later this summer.

Love that they cast Alicia Vikander, but I hope they don’t model the film after the horror exploitation approach of the 2013 reboot.

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