Meet the new Lara Croft
Alicia Vikander and Roar Uthaug discuss bringing Lara to life
It’s been 14 years since the last Tomb Raider movie was released and, much like the recent games, this silver-screen outing is taking the superstar spelunker in a new direction. Firmly focussed on the origins of Lara Croft, this new adaptation is a world away from the highly adept and experienced iteration of Lara played by Angelina Jolie in the first two movies.
UNCHARTED TERRITORY
Taking inspiration from the 2013 game, the plot focuses on a much younger Lara as she sets out on her first adventure to a mythical island off the coast of Japan. Far from enjoying a privileged lifestyle in a cosy manor, we meet Lara as a 21-year-old living in a commune in East London, working as a bike courier and struggling to make ends meet. Aspects of the most recent game, Rise Of The Tomb Raider, are also evident, with Lara’s father being the driving force behind her exploits.
The movie’s plot doesn’t rigidly follow the game’s narrative, nor is this Lara a carbon copy of her virtual self. Director Roar Uthaug explains: “She gets put through this big adventure and has to learn to survive, and through this movie we experience her, Lara Croft, becoming the Tomb Raider she was
WE ARE TELLING A WHOLE NEW STORY OF A WHOLE NEW LARA CROFT.
meant to be. With this movie, we are creating a whole new origins story for Lara Croft for the big screen. We are telling a whole new story of a whole new Lara Croft.
Taking on the role of the iconic heroine is Swedish actress Alicia Vikander (who proved a pretty nifty heroine in The Man From UNCLE). She played through Lara's recent adventures as research for the part, explaining that what drew her in was how relatable the character is. As well as being a capable adventurer, she has weaknesses – something which the movie is also keen to explore. Vikander says: “She has, of course, the classical traits of Lara – she's witty, intelligent, she loves history, she’s fierce, and all those things – but she's also quite young and a bit lost and quite vulnerable.”
Showing the same fearlessness and resolve as Lara, Vikander went
through a gruelling four months of training for the physically demanding role, which saw her endure some harsh situations, including being doused with gallons of freezing cold water while filming the movie’s boat scenes.
LARA LOVE
For Vikander, however, the biggest challenge lay in the weight of expectation that comes with portraying such a well-known and beloved icon. As well as wanting to do justice to the character, she’s also keen to have this iteration of Lara add something fresh and exciting that fans can appreciate. Vikander explains: “It’s that fine balance of wanting to cherish all the traits of this character that makes people fall in love with her, and yet we also want to, of course, extend that universe that they so much love and give them something new and an adventure that is not what they've seen before.”
Vikander was aware of the Tomb Raider series long before landing the role of Lara. A fan of videogames, she recalls being drawn to Tomb Raider in particular because it was the first time she’d seen a female as the lead character in a game, albeit the game’s gruelling nature meant she didn’t venture outside Lara’s front door very much. “I was probably 11, but I was so scared, so I mostly did the preparation in the manor. I stayed there; there were no bears or anything coming out to freak me out.”
A self-confessed gaming nerd, Uthaug says he didn’t feel pressure to cater to players, his focus was on making the best movie possible, but at the same time, he did admit to wanting to give something back to fans of the games, telling us there will be Easter eggs. The trailer has already shown some facets that are sure to delight fans of the more traditional iteration of Lara - including the braided hair and dual pistols. Now all we need is a butler in a freezer… The all-new Tomb Raider movie will release in UK cinemas this month.