The sequel to 2018's Tomb Raider film now has a release date and director. Based on the 2013 game of the same name, Tomb Raider starred Alicia Vikander as Lara Croft.
2018's Tomb Raider was anticipated among fans. It looked to capture what made the 2013 reboot game compelling. Upon release, reception was mixed. Some critics praised the action sequences and Vikander's performance, but others criticized it as being a generic action film. Its final Rotten Tomatoes score was 52%. While not amazing, it was a step in the right direction from the Angelina Jolie Tomb Raider films of the early 2000s. (Though those are cult classics among some fans.) Tomb Raider certainly has issues, but it did successfully emulate the 2013 game in a number of ways. At the very least, it did well enough to warrant a sequel.
According to Deadline, the Tomb Raider sequel will be released on March 19, 2021. While Roar Uthaug directed the first film, Ben Wheatley will be on directing duties for the sequel. Wheatley has directed films such as Kill List, High-Rise, and Free Fire. Pop culture fans may know him for his work on Doctor Who, where he directed two episodes in 2014.
No story details have been unveiled, but Alicia Vikander was reported to be reprising her role as Lara Croft. The 2018 movie left the door open to a sequel, so presumably the plot will involve Lara fighting to diminish Trinity. If the final scene of the first movie is followed up on, fans can expect some double pistol action from Lara.
Although video game movies are still held under scrutiny, the decent success of Detective Pikachu arguably paints a bright future. In addition to Tomb Raider's sequel, a film adaption of Monster Hunter is being developed and Sonic the Hedgehog is set to release in February, 2020. Time will tell if these movies are critically acclaimed. If video game films begin to be received positively, and do well at the box office, their reputation as being lackluster pieces of cinema will eventually be put to rest.
Tomb Raider's untitled sequel will be released on March 19, 2021.
Source: Deadline