Poll: Who Should Play Lara Croft in the 'Tomb Raider' Reboot? | Collider SHARE TWEET 0 A new Tomb Raider movie is in the works with Norwegian thriller director Roar Uthaug set to direct and screenwriter Geneva Robertson-Dworet giving the script its latest once-over. The biggest piece of the puzzle that remains is the casting of the title character, the video game heroine and archaeological adventurer Lara Croft. The role was famously brought to life by Angelina Jolie in two feature films, but now that a franchise reboot looks to take audiences back to Croft’s origins, a new face will most likely be taking on the part. We’ve put together a list of leading actresses that we think would do a great job as Lara Croft. They range from leading ladies with action movie experience like Emily Blunt, Keira Knightley, and Priyanka Chopra, to TV stars like Lauren Cohan, Summer Glau, and Nicole Beharie, to Lara Croft’s video game voice and motion-capture actor, Camilla Luddington herself.

There’s quite the variety in this list, but if you don’t find your favorite for the lead, be sure to click the “Someone Else” button and let us know who you’d like to see in the comments section. Vote for the new Lara Croft below! Related Content Will ‘Star Wars’s Star Daisy Ridley Play Lara Croft In ‘Tomb Raider’ Reboot? | Deadline Sony Pictures Classics Lands 'The Eagle Huntress'; Sundance Docu Soars To Animated Feature With 'Star Wars' Daisy Ridley While conversations have taken place, this is still very early and there have been no official negotiations or offer yet, with the producers keeping their options wide open at this stage. This is one of THE plum gigs out there for a young actress. The role was famously played by Angelina Jolie at her most kick-ass and pneumatic. Based on the long-running video game franchise, Tomb Raider follows the English archaeologist Lara Croft through a series of adventures heavily inspired by Indiana Jones (and, to a lesser extent, Allan Quartermaine).

The latest adaptation, which has been in development for several years, received a jolt of adrenaline when the video game series was rebooted by game developer Square Enix with 2013’s Tomb Raider, which depicted Croft’s first adventure as an archaeology student, and follow-up Rise Of The Tomb Raider. That younger take on the character’s origin and path to derring-do are believed to have given the film’s producers some creative guidance. Cassidy Lange is overseeing for MGM, with Drew Crevello doing so for Warners. Denis O’Sullivan of GK Films is overseeing the production. Ridley, currently shooting Star Wars: Episode VIII, is repped by CAA. Her only confirmed post-Star Wars gig to date is her coming aboard The Eagle Huntress documentary as an exec producer. Amazon.com: Lara Croft: Tomb Raider / Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - The Cradle of Life (Double Feature): Angelina Jolie, Gerard Butler, Chris Barrie, Jon Voight, Iain Glen, Noah Taylor, Daniel Craig, Richard Johnson, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Leslie Phillips, Robert Phillips, Rachel Appleton, Jan de Bont, Simon West, Dean Georgaris, James V.

Hart, John Zinman, Michael Colleary, Mike Werb, Patrick Massett: Movies & TV By Michael D. Anderson on September 9, 2012 Format: DVD The Laura Croft films involving Angelina Jolie are impressive to say the least. They combine a strong and powerful but extremely feminine female lead with no apology for her being in charge of her team of quirky men. She is not infallable but she is certainly the equal of any man presented as an action hero (like a female Bourne without all the grittiness of that series of films). You should go into the movie expecting it to be based on a video game in the sense that this is a fantasy pair of movies, not some spy-thriller. If you object to the special effects of the Mission Impossible series then you might not enjoy the feats and wild items found in both Laura Croft films but again, if you love character-driven, action-packed contemporary adventure films with a touch of the fantastic thrown in, then you should really enjoy them. Angelina's acting is brilliant and you actually feel for the characters. It is sad that the franchise wasn't better received and ended after two films (which had high production values I might add).

Both Laura Croft films had some of that charming flavor found in earlier action/adventures movies such as Erol Flynn's 'The Adventures of Robin Hood' or James Coburn in 'Our Man Flint' or even the better 'Tarzan' adventure flicks. For the price of this combined set you can't really go wrong and I have literally watched each of these films at least three or four times apiece because they have good dialogue and wonderful acting which is not hidden beneath but rather in tandem with the high-paced action.

3.0 out of 5 stars Lara does the impossible,but she's better in games,than on screen By Robert Badgley on November 6, 2013 The Tomb Raider Collection is out and it contains both films,Lara Croft:Tomb Raider(released June/01)and Lara Croft Tomb Raider:The Cradle of Life(released July/03).I'm a Lara Croft fan in the virtual world and have just about all of the series of video games.While the games themselves can blow hot and cold,generally they are well developed and fun to play.Thus I was anticipating the best when Lara came to the screen.Joli seemed to be a natural fit due to her shape and looks.However,I found both films way too long and complicated and Joli somehow didn't quite hit the right chord as Lara.They sure made her up like Lara,even accentuating her bosom with a push up bra to match her gaming alter ego.But in the end it is all for naught.In this collection and watching them nicely remastered,they seem better than I recall,but my original feelings still have to stand.

LC-Tomb Raider stars,among others,Angelina Jolie,Jon Voight,Chris Barrie,Iain Glen,Noah Taylor and Daniel Craig.The story finds Lara at home at Croft manor(a nice reproduction from the game).She receives a letter from her father,who has been dead many years.It tells Lara that she must find and locate two halves of a triangle that will bring about the destruction of the world;one piece at Angor Wat,in Cambodia and the other in Siberia.The trouble is the Illuminati are also after it.Lara gets to Cambodia just as the Illuminati are there.Lara struggles and gains possession of one half.The Illuminati agree to work with Lara to get the other half and they all travel to Siberia.Lara is betrayed and the Illuminati try to put the two halves together as the planets align.However only Lara knows how to solve the puzzle and she manages to put them together which takes her into an alternate existence where her father is.He beseeches Lara to destroy the triangle and not save him.This she does and the temple they are in destroys itself.

All the talk about planetary alignments,Angor Wat,the hierarchy of the Illuminati,her father's appearance at the end,the triangle of light,and on and on.It is all far too much detail for the viewer to properly absorb.The film needed to be paired down not only in scope but in size as well.Voight appears as Lara's father,and is actually Angelina's real father.And Angelina just isn't doing it for me being Lara.She is much too wooden.3 - 3 1/2 stars.

LCTR:The Cradle of Life stars,among others,Angelina Jolie,Gerard Butler,Ciarán Hinds,Chris Barrie and Noah Taylor.The story here begins in Santorini,Greece.Under the Mediterranean an ancient Greek Temple is discovered by Lara and two friends.She recovers a glowing orb there.However another group of thieves is about and they steal the orb from Lara and return to China with it.The sphere is key to finding Pandora's box in the Cradle of Life in Africa.At the same time there is a rich man also looking for the box/orb.He wants to unleash a plaque onto mankind that he can capitalize on,so he sends his men to fetch it also.Lara enlists the help of Butler,an old friend who is now serving time in prison.For his help he will get a pardon and a new life.He gets Lara into China and steals the orb and a key to unlocking it.Lara unlocks the orb and sends data back to Croft Manor.However the rich man is there and he knows now the Cradle of Life/Pandora's Box is in Tanzania,in Africa.Upon arrival Lara is caught and she is forced to take the rich man to Pandora's Box.

A struggle ensues in which the rich man ends up being killed when he falls into a pool of acid.Lara returns the box to its rightful place and leaves.Lara drives into the sunset. Talk about your overkill on detail.This plot is even heavier handed than the last.There is so much to absorb about the Temple history,then a gang in China,an old lover,the orb and its history,Tanzania,the unleashing of viruses,shadow guardians,and much,much more.It would be good in a game but is way out there in a film.Again Angelina is just not doing it for me as far as being a Lara Croft.Nice seeing an early appearance of Gerard Butler,He had the best acting chops of just about everyone.3 stars. Extras abound in this edition of the two movies.They are far too lengthy to list,but they do include commentary,music videos,deleted scenes and lots of featurettes.Both films are in their original w/s a/r's and are clear and crisp.

All in all the extras get more points than the films themselves.The films are a little better than I recall,but both would have made better games than films.Angelina is just not up to snuff imitating Lara Croft and the films themselves are just too long and complicated.The makers did a good job of recreating Croft manor though,but the old butler in the games is replaced by two younger helpers.3 stars. By Jake Taylor on November 24, 2012 Format: DVD|Verified Purchase These aren't -great- movies, that should be obvious - but they are -enjoyable-, and when it comes to entertainment, if what you're looking for is to be entertained, these will do it. There's a lot of exciting action, the cinematography is great, there are a lot of interesting locales, the main character is likable enough - if you're the kind who likes to sit down and enjoy a bit of fun, stupid action with some unique twists and an Indiana Jones-like vibe, you'll probably enjoy watching these movies. And if you find Angelina Jolie hot, well, that helps, too.

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider | Lara Croft Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Lara Croft: Tomb Raider Share Ad blocker interference detected! Wikia is a free-to-use site that makes money from advertising. We have a modified experience for viewers using ad blockers Wikia is not accessible if you’ve made further modifications. Remove the custom ad blocker rule(s) and the page will load as expected. Lara Croft: Tomb Raider Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (a.k.a. Tomb Raider) is a 2001 adventure thrill film adapted from the Tomb Raider video game series. Directed by Simon West and starring Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft , it was released in U.S. theaters on June 15, 2001. A sequel, Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life , was released in 2003. Contents Edit The film opens with Croft in an Egyptian tomb, seeking a diamond at one end of a chamber. As she approaches she is attacked by a large robot. After an intense chase and battle, she disables it by ripping out its motivational circuits.

She takes the diamond, which is revealed to be a memory card labeled 'Lara's Party Mix,' and inserts it into a laptop computer inside the robot, whereupon it plays music. Now it is revealed that the scene took place in a practice arena in Croft's home, and that her assistant, Bryce, programmed the robot, to challenge her in combat. It is the day of the first phase of a planetary alignment, culminating in a solar eclipse on the Earth, which happens once every 5,000 years. In Venice , the Illuminati search for a key to rejoin halves of "the triangle," which must be done by the final phase of the alignment. Mr. Powell, an Illuminati member, assures that they are almost ready, but in reality he has no idea where to find the key. Croft's butler, Hillary, tries to interest her in several projects, but she ignores them. 15 May, as Hillary is aware, is the day that Croft's father disappeared many years earlier. She has not recovered from his loss. Later that night, Croft has a dream reminding her what her father said about the alignment, and an object linked to it called the Triangle of Light.

Waking, she is aware of a clock ticking. Searching for it, she discovers a secret chamber with a carriage clock that had spontaneously begun ticking. Bryce probes it and discovers a strange device hidden inside the clock. Since the device resembles a clock, Croft consults a clock expert friend of her father's, Mr. Wilson. She believes it is connected to the "Triangle of Light," but Wilson disavows knowledge of the clock or the Triangle. Croft encounters Alex West, a fellow tomb raider with unscrupulous methods. They are attracted to each other, but Croft cannot abide his for-profit attitude. That night, Croft is contacted by Wilson, who tells her that he gave her name to a man named Manfred Powell in regards of the clock. In reality, Wilson is also a member of the Illuminati. The next day, Croft sees Powell in his home, and shows him photographs of the clock. Later, while discussing it with Bryce, she points out that Powell was lying about his knowledge. That night, armed commando troops invade the house and steal the clock despite Croft's attempts to fend them off.

The next morning, Croft receives a letter from her father, arranged to arrive after the beginning of the alignment, where he explains that the clock is the key to retrieve two halves of the mystic Triangle of Light, which is revealed to be an object of phenomenal destructive power that granted its wielder power over time and space. Initially housed in a city built by those who worshipped the object, misuse of the Triangle's power destroyed the city and so it was split into two halves; one was hidden in a tomb in Cambodia , the other half in the ruined city itself, in modern-day Siberia. Her father urges her to find and destroy both halves before the Illuminati can find it. In Cambodia, West figures out part of the puzzle on how to retrieve the triangle half, but Croft manages to successfully grab the piece and escape the temple after fighting off and destroying a huge six-armed guardian statue. She and Powell arrange to meet in Venice, since each of them has what the other needs to finish the Triangle. Powell proposes a partnership to find the Triangle, and informs Lara that her father was a member of the Illuminati, which she vehemently denies.

Though hesitant at first, she, along with Bryce, meets with Powell for the trip to Siberia. Inside the tomb, there is a giant model of the solar system, which activates as the alignment nears completion. Croft retrieves the last half of the Triangle, but when Powell tries to complete it, the halves will not fuse. He realizes that Croft knows the solution to the puzzle, and kills West in order to induce her into completing the Triangle to save both West's life and her father's. Croft reluctantly complies, and they then struggle for control of the Triangle, with Croft prevailing. Croft then finds herself in a strange alternate existence facing her father. He explains that it is a "crossing" of time and space, and urges her to destroy the Triangle instead of using it to save his life. She leaves her father and returns to the chamber, where time is slowly running backwards from the point where Powell killed West. Croft takes the knife he threw into West's chest and reverses it, then destroys the Triangle, which returns time to its normal flow and directs the knife into Powell's shoulder.

The chamber begins to self-destruct, Everyone turns to leave, but Powell tells Croft that he killed her father and retrieved his pocket watch with a picture of Lara's mother inside. Croft fights him to retrieve it, killing him and escaping as the chamber comes down around her. At the mansion, Hillary and Bryce are shocked to see Croft wearing a dress. She goes into the garden to her father's memorial, then returns inside, where Bryce has a reprogrammed SIMON, ready to challenge Croft once again. Hillary reveals a silver tray holding Croft's pistols, which she takes with a smile. Cast Edit Tomb Raider went through many drafts and several writers, which resulted in production delays. In 1998, writer Brent V. Friedman, who had co-written Mortal Kombat: Annihilation the year before, penned an unproduced Tomb Raider script. Producer and screenwriter Steven E. de Souza, who wrote and directed the 1994 video game film Street Fighter, penned an early draft of the Tomb Raider script in 1999, but it was rejected by Paramount. However, it was partially resuscitated for the 2003 sequel Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life .

The final draft of the script was attributed to five writers, including director Simon West. Financing Edit Lara Croft was financed through Tele-München Gruppe (TMG), a German tax shelter. The tax law of Germany allowed investors to take an instant tax deduction even on non-German productions and even if the film has not gone into production. By selling them the copyright for $94 million and then buying it back for $83.8 million, Paramount Pictures made $10.2 million. The copyright was then sold again to Lombard Bank, a British investment group and a further $12 million was made. However, to qualify for Section 48 tax relief, the production must include some UK filming and British actors, which was acceptable for a film partially set in the United Kingdom. Presales to distributors in Japan, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain made a further $65 million. Showtime paid $6.8 million for premium cable TV rights. In total, $94 million was put together. The deal between Eidos , Tomb Raider's publisher, and Paramount Pictures was structured so Eidos received a single fee, but no royalties.

[1] Casting Edit The film marked the feature film debut of television actor Christopher Barrie (Hillary), known for his role of "Arnold Rimmer" in the BBC science fiction comedy series Red Dwarf. Iain Glen , a Scot, adopted an English accent as Powell, whilst English actor Daniel Craig adopts an American accent for the role of Alex West. Angelina, being American herself, takes on an English accent. Release Edit The film received generally negative reviews, earning a 19% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with 27 out of 140 critics giving it a positive review with an average rating of 3.9/10. The general consensus is "Angelina Jolie is perfect for the role of Lara Croft, but even she can't save the movie from a senseless plot and action sequences with no emotional impact". [2] A positive review came from Roger Ebert who awarded the film three out of four stars and said, "'Lara Croft Tomb Raider' elevates goofiness to an art form.

Here is a movie so monumentally silly, yet so wondrous to look at, that only a churl could find fault." Box office performance Edit Tomb Raider debuted at number one with a towering $48.2 million, giving Paramount its second-best debut and the fourth-highest debut of 2001. It beat the opening record for a film featuring a female protagonist ($40.1 million for Charlie's Angels) as well as the opening record for a video game adaptation ($31 million for Pokémon: The First Movie), and is the most successful video game adaptation to date, grossing $300,000,000 worldwide. [3] [4] Awards and nominations Angelina Jolie was nominated for the Worst Actress Golden Raspberry Award for her role in the film. Soundtrack Edit In 2002, an attraction was opened at Paramount's Kings Island (then owned by Paramount Pictures) themed to the film "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider." The most expensive ride ever opened at the park, Tomb Raider: The Ride was essentially nothing more than a Top Spin, an amusement park ride featured at many carnivals and theme parks.

However, Tomb Raider: The Ride was the world's first (and to this day, only) Giant Top Spin, nearly doubling the capacity of these carnival rides and drastically increasing the height of the ride. Tomb Raider: The Ride was billed as a "totally immersive dark ride adventure." Synchronized to a musical score composed specifically for the ride, the ride continued the adventurers of Lara Croft from the film, essentially asking riders to help her find and destroy the Triangle, which is fiercely guarded by the goddess of war, Durga. The queue line for the ride featured the warrior monkey statues as well as the six-armed Brahma shrine from the film (the actual film props), while the ride chamber itself featured a specially created carving of the goddess Durga. Upon awakening the goddess by mistake, her "laser" eyes shattered the headlights of the car, leaving the first portion of the ride in pitch black darkness lit only by her fire and ice emblems which she held in her hands. Playing off scenes from the film, the ride blasted riders skyward inches from razor-sharp stalactites, then held riders upside down to view an erupting volcano stretching up the back wall.

Just before the ride's finale, riders were held face down to view a bubbling pit of "lava" beneath them which, synchronized to music, squirted up fountains of lava at riders, often spritzing them. The ride ended with Angelina Jolie reprising her role as Lara Croft to narrate on the defeat of the goddess as the chamber filled with smoke and the Triangle and goddess were cracked down the center, ending the goddess' malevolent reign over the temple and assuring that no one would ever use the Triangle for evil. In 2008, Paramount Pictures sold the park to Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, owners of world famous Cedar Point. Forced to removed all references to Paramount films and licensing, the ride was renamed The Crypt. While all the film props, music, and lighting were removed, the carving of the goddess Durga can still be seen on the walls, though the ride takes place in pitch black darkness, devoid of ice and lava effects. Trivia Paramount also received input from Core Design on casting. Rumored actresses included Pamela Anderson, Demi Moore, Jeri Ryan, and Carla Pivonski.

Lara Croft uses an Ericsson Bluetooth Headset and an Ericsson R310 mobile phone. Was filmed at Pinewood Studios in England where James Bond films are made which is coincidental towards Daniel Craig who later took the role of James Bond in Casino Royale (2006). Lara Croft's father is played by Angelina Jolie's real life father, actor Jon Voight. Lara's training robot is named Simon, after the director Simon West. Alex West was originally named Alex Mars but because the name hadn't been cleared by the legal department it couldn't be used. Simon West decided to name the character Alex West, after his father, since he knew, that if needed, he could get legal clearance for the name. Apart from normal jumping, the only moves Lara Croft (Angelina Jolie) does in the movie which can also be done in the games is the jump over the living statue and rolls in the air. This can be done in the PlayStation game by pressing forward and square, then circle while in the air.

Angelina Jolie did her own Bungee-Ballet, and according to an interview with her on the Jay Leno show, injured her ankle on the first take when landing on top of a chandelier went bad, so that part of the scene had to be done over again after she recovered. Many of Lara's action sequence moves will be known and loved by any aficionados of the video game series. Drawing weapons mid-somersault, swallow dives into water, forward rolls to reverse direction - these are signature moves of the experienced player. In the much-shown previews, at one point Lara says to Powell "You might try to kill me." Powell replies that he "would never kill a lady." She replies archly "I said you'd try." That exchange doesn't appear in the actual movie. Biggest grossing action film with a woman in lead role. Second is Aliens (1986). Martin Clunes was originally asked to play Lara's butler, but filming dates clashed with his wedding anniversary (he makes a special point of never working on his anniversary), so he turned it down. The part was eventually taken by Chris Barrie. Lara's pistols are 9mm Heckler and Koch USP MATCH.

The Illuminati is purported to be a real-life secret society with origins dating back to at least the 1700s if not earlier, though it is a matter of debate whether it still exists. Many books - factual and fiction or science fiction novels - have been written about this legendary group, the best known being the "Illuminatus!" trilogy by Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson. At one point, Demi Moore was widely reported to have been in consideration for the role of Lara Croft. In the video game, Lara Croft is a 36DD. Angelina Jolie is naturally a 36C, and was padded to a 36D for the movie, as it was felt that padding to the original character size would be too unrealistic. At the time of filming, Angelina Jolie sported a large tattoo on her upper left arm. Make-up was used to cover the tattoo, but one can see where the tattoo has been covered up on several scenes. The gun used by Powell's villains is the H&K G36k, the shortened carbine version of the G36 assault rifle. Both are in use with the German army.

The temple on the hill in Cambodia on which Lara lands on is Phnom Bakheng which is just outside the South Gate of the city of Angkor Thom. Next, when we see her drive her jeep off, Lara is at Bayon, at the center of Angkor Thom. The temple with trees overgrown on it, where Lara falls into the hidden tomb, is Ta Prohm. The monkeys Lara fights there are modeled after the ones at Banteay Srei, a temple located far from Angkor Wat. They are the guardians of the door. Executive producer Stuart Baird did uncredited re-editing work on this film and Mission: Impossible II (2000) for Paramount in exchange for the job of directing Star Trek: Nemesis (2002). The music played while the explorers are in the Siberian village and then on the sleds is Tuvan throat singing. The gun that Daniel Craig uses in the Tomb of the Dancing Light is a Walther P99 pistol, the signature weapon of James Bond. He later wielded this weapon again as 007 in Casino Royale (2006).

This film marks the first time in more than three decades that a Hollywood production has been filmed in Cambodia, the previous film being Lord Jim (1965). The makers at first envisioned the scenes ultimately shot in Cambodia taking place at the Great Wall of China. When schedule didn't allow for this to happen, the alternative was to build the Great Wall in Scotland. Ultimately, they opted for the stone temples of Cambodia instead. Angelina Jolie had lessons in yoga and kickboxing to prepare for her role as Lara Croft. She also learned how to handle guns and other weapons. The picture in the inset of Lara's father's pocket watch is of Lynda Carter. Lara has been given several gadgets in the film which are specific nods at certain gameplay features (of the Tomb Raider game and games in general) - among them the reloader belt or back pack (allowing her to reload her guns very quickly and without fidgeting about with magazines or bullets) and the back pack itself (which almost mysteriously "swallows" any item moved close to its bottom or side by Lara, like the first half of the Triangle).

Angelina Jolie received weapons training from an instructor of the SAS, the United Kingdom's elite special forces, to prepare herself for the role. Lara never actually wounds or kills anyone with a gun in the entire movie. Lara Croft is British and Alex West is American. However, the actress Angelina Jolie who plays Croft is American and Daniel Craig, the actor who plays West, is British. Towards the end of the film when Lara finds a bunch of wolves, she says "A-ha". This was a link to the original games where Lara would uses this phrase whenever she picked up an item. Filming the scenes where Lara drives her Land Rover through the jungle there had to be endless re-shoots due to snakes and other wildlife falling through the open top roof. Angelina Jolie herself was reported to be terrified. Gallery 114 Tomb Raider has a long history as both a character and franchise, but where will the brand head as it moves into the future? Lara Croft and the Tomb Raider franchise have come a long way over the years. Younger gamers may not recall the way the character invaded the cultural landscape in the late 90s, appearing in everything from comic books and toys to theme park rides.

We took a look back at some of the features that shaped the character and the game series in the past, and more importantly, spoke with Crystal Dynamics about what it will take to relaunch Tomb Raider with a brand new vision. “We got contacted not so long ago from someone looking to renew a contract for a strange water park ride in south Italy, where they have a girl dressed up as Lara Croft who comes out every single day and starts the ride,” laughs Karl Stewart, global brand director for the new Tomb Raider franchise. “And we were like: ‘We do what? Are you serious?’ There was a time when that must have made perfect sense.” From the moment that the first Tomb Raider game launched in 1996, the character had a special appeal. One of only a handful of true video game heroines, Lara Croft was capable and deadly, smart and resourceful, and for many audience members, undeniably sexy. Her twin guns and curvaceous figure cast a big shadow for other characters to follow in the coming years. Even as the years passed, her look and demeanor continued to evolve . Along the way, numerous media beyond games got in on the action.

Comic book maker Top Cow launched a successful Tomb Raider graphic novel series, one that often integrated with the other major characters of their comic universe. Ballantine Books began a series of three novels that tied in with game continuity. Two major Hollywood movies starring Angelina Jolie did big business at the box office. Through that film licensure, Paramount Parks opened several theme park rides across North America built around the brand. And, of course, as the years passed, nearly a dozen actual video games released. “In the past, a number of opportunities have presented themselves to the IP, and those opportunities have been taken,” Stewart tells us. “And that’s great. But that was for that vision. Now we have a new vision.” In 2006, Crystal Dynamics released their take on the franchise with Tomb Raider: Legend, a newly reinvigorated style that still seemed to stay mostly true to the series roots. The game was met by positive critical and commercial success, but the developers knew that sometime soon a change would be required. After 2008’s Tomb Raider: Underworld, Crystal Dynamics knew the time for that more dramatic change had come. “Iconic characters are a product of their time,” explains franchise director Tim Longo Jr..

“Specifically with franchises, they need to evolve with the times. The ones that don’t get ahead of that problem are going to fail. They’re not going to be around anymore.” But how to take such a well known character and bring back her relevance? “We talked about our medium and audience changing,” Longo continues “It’s not only become bigger, it’s wider on the types of audience members. And our medium has matured as an art form and entertainment.” The Lara Croft: Tomb Raider film opened up an entirely new audience for the franchise, but gamers had mixed impressions of the treatment Rise of the Tomb Raider Discovers What Drives Lara Croft - IGN IGN Rise of the Tomb Raider Discovers What Drives Lara Croft Share Rise of the Tomb Raider Discovers What Drives Lara Croft Share. By Daniel Krupa After playing Rise of the Tomb Raider for three hours, I know more about Lara Croft as a character than I’ve learned over the course of nearly two decades. She’s still young, at the very beginning of her adventures, but a lot of time and care is spent exploring her psychology. What drives her? What makes Lara put herself repeatedly in these life-threatening situations? Got feedback on our player?

We want to hear it. Watch the video above to see nine minutes of brand-new gameplay from Rise of the Tomb Raider. This doesn’t make for a dry character piece either. There’s tremendous variety and more spectacle than ever before. In just over three hours, I scaled a mountain, explored wolf-infested caves, climbed a frozen Byzantine galleon, polished up on my Greek, nearly drowned, and there was even time to fight a bear. While this is obviously a continuation of 2013’s reboot, it feels much more confident in terms of structure and scope. What I played opened with Lara scaling a Siberian mountain with her friend Jonah. As we climb, a vicious storm approaches and the snow around us begins to shift. Inevitably, Lara loses her footing and what ensues is a fraught sequence of ice climbing, rope swinging, and last-minute jumps. Effectively, it’s a tutorial level in which I learn Lara’s various navigational abilities under extreme pressure. It looks spectacular, but ultimately isn’t all that unique within the genre of third-person action games. What follows, however, does a great job of setting Tomb Raider apart. Got feedback on our player? We want to hear it.

Lara eventually falls off the mountain, and while her fate hangs in the balance, there’s a sustained flashback. At home, we see Lara researching her next trip. Papers are scattered about the room. After the events of the first game, it appears Lara’s become something of a minor celebrity. She’s on the front cover of a British tabloid along with the blunt headline “Another Crazy Croft”. She’s continuing her late father’s research, which involved locating the tomb of the prophet which contains, according to Lara, “tangible evidence of the immortal soul”. By the end, everyone believed her father, Richard Croft, to be delusional, but Lara has also seen things which can’t be explained by science, and is driven to prove her father right and restore his reputation. Interestingly, while researching, Lara’s visited by a woman named Anna. Presumably she’s a former lover of Richard Croft and someone who appears to genuinely care for Lara. She asks her to return to Croft Manor, her ancestral home, and not let obsession ruin her in the way it did her father.

Despite Anna’s best efforts, the scene concludes with Lara declaring, “I’m going to find the prophet’s tomb.” It’s a quiet sequence – Lara isn’t running from anything, no buildings are collapsing – but one of the most effective I played. It deftly fills in the psychology of a character we’ve known for so long. Got feedback on our player? We want to hear it. Famously, the 2013 reboot didn’t feature all that many tombs. It’s something that’s been mentioned once or twice in the years since release, and Rise of the Tomb Raider addresses that almost immediately. The action switches to the north-west border, and after a brief encounter with the local militia, Lara discovers the entrance to the Prophet’s Tomb. What follows is great: there are clues to hunt down, puzzles to solve, and gruesome traps to avoid. Lara translates monoliths written in ancient Greek and critiques religious frescos for further leads. There’s even a section where Lara has to swim through a water-flooded catacomb and nearly drowns. It’s a powerful callback to early Tomb Raider games where there was no more disturbing sight that seeing Lara drown. It’s everything you’d expect from a Tomb Raider experience.

And it’s here, among the cobwebs and scorpions, that Rise of the Tomb Raider feels at home and distinguishes itself from other third-person, high-adventure games. The tomb of the prophet, however, is a self-contained section. Once it’s over, the action returns to Siberia and we discover what happened to Lara after she fell from the mountain. She’s hurt but it’s not life-threatening. Here the game begins in earnest, settling into a rhythm more familiar to the first instalment. Siberia functions much like the island did in the first game. It’s expansive but not a true open-world – it’s much more structured, with Lara being pushed from one camp fire to the next. They function like they did in the first game: Lara can fast travel between locations and use them to level-up and upgrade her equipment, weaponry, and abilities. Occasionally, the world opens up, allowing exploration. There are optional tombs hidden around the map and plenty of caves to explore, but some can only be accessed by equipment Lara acquires later in the campaign. Rise of the Tomb Raider encourages backtracking and rewards having a sense of curiosity equal to Lara’s. Got feedback on our player? We want to hear it.

It’s impossible to say from just three hours of play, but the success of Rise of the Tomb Raider might hinge on getting the balance just right between its more recent emphasis on stealth, survival, and crafting, and it’s more structured, puzzle-driven tombs. Tomb Raider was a spectacle-driven adventure that did a great job of updating so many aspects of the franchise, though it perhaps lost some of its distinctiveness along the way. Rise builds on that strong foundation. Introducing tombs and developing exploration make it feel much more like a classic Tomb Raider experience, but it’s the renewed focus on Lara as a character and examining the demons and desires that fuel her really has me hooked. Finding something new to do with a character that’s been around for 19 years isn’t easy, but it looks like Rise of the Tomb Raider has found something say. Daniel is IGN's Games Editor over in London. He writes about movies, too. You can be part of the world's most embarrassing cult by following him on IGN and Twitter . IN THIS ARTICLE

Question: In what video game brand does the Lara Croft character most famously feature?
Answer: Tomb Raider