A 'full' Tomb Raider reboot is in the works as MGM loses film rights

By July 28, 2022 7:56 PM EDT

The rights to "Tomb Raider" are up in the air, and a Hollywood bidding war has erupted over who will become the new cinematic home for all things Lara Croft. MGM, the previous company to secure the rights to the popular video game, had until May 2022 to greenlight a sequel to its 2018 film "Tomb Raider," but failed to do so, which means the rights are back on the market.

The news broke in an exclusive report from The Wrap, which learned that a slew of Hollywood gamers were vying for the chance to make their own "Tomb Raider" movie. Sadly, this also means that Alicia Vikander, who starred in the 2018 film, is no longer attached to the upcoming "Tomb Raider" films. Whoever gets the rights will create another complete reboot of the story, with an all-new creative team.

It's a shame, because Vikander has been open and honest about his desire to return to the character, saying in an interview, "I think Misha and I were ready, so that's a bit in someone else's hands, to be honest." She was referring to "Lovecraft Country" creator Misha Green, who originally signed on to write and direct the sequel in 2021. This latest report from The Wrap, however, states that "there are no commitments from cast or director". That doesn't mean it's impossible for Vikander to return, but it seems highly unlikely that we'll get another round with her as Lara Croft.

Warner Bros.

The rights holder is currently producer Graham King and his banner GK Films, who acquired the rights to "Tomb Raider" in 2011 from game publisher Square Enix. King and GK Films will be the deciders of what happens next with "Tomb Raider." It's a shame, because Misha Green had already been hard at work on the sequel she called "Tomb Raider: Obsidian," which was supposed to go into production before the pandemic caused a delay. Although 2018's "Tomb Raider" movie wasn't a huge hit with critics or fans, it still managed to pull off a decent bang at the box office.

"Tomb Raider" video games first hit the screen in 2001 with Angelina Jolie in the lead role of "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider", and again in the sequel from 2003's "Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life." Twenty different "Tomb Raider" video games have been made since the original game launched in 1996, giving the bidding war-winning studio plenty of material to mine for its new reboot.

For what it's worth, I bet Warner Bros. who distributed the 2018 film, but that's entirely personal speculation.