Alicia Vikander is the New Lara Croft

Alicia Vikander
Alicia Vikander at the Toronto International Film Festiva (Photo by Eric Charbonneau / Invision for DreamWorks Pictures / AP Images)

The Hollywood Reporter broke the news that Alicia Vikander has snagged the starring role in the reboot of the Tomb Raider franchise. Vikander will play Lara Croft in MGM/Warner Bros’ new prequel to the popular franchise based on the bestselling video game series. The Wave‘s Roar Uthaug is attached to direct the upcoming action adventure film which has been in the works for years and which most recently was rumored to have Star WarsDaisy Ridley in consideration for the starring role.


Vikander won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar earlier this year for her performance in The Danish Girl opposite Eddie Redmayne. Her film credits also include Ex Machina (which should have earned her a Best Actress Oscar nomination), The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Burnt, Seventh Son, Son of a Gun, and Testament of Youth (with Game of Thrones‘ could-be-but-probably-not-dead Jon Snow, Kit Harington), as well as Anna Karenina, The Fifth Estate, and A Royal Affair. Vikander recently completed work on Justin Chadwick’s Tulip Fever with Cara Delevingne, another actress rumored to be in the running to play Lara Croft, and The Light Between Oceans with Michael Fassbender and Rachel Weisz. She also joined the Bourne franchise and will be seen in Jason Bourne which marks Matt Damon’s return to the series. And, Vikander’s currently at work on Wim Wenders’ romantic drama Submergence with James McAvoy.

It’s been 15 years since the first Lara Croft movie, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, opened in theaters with Angelina Jolie in the title role. Directed by Simon West, the first Tomb Raider movie opened to $47 million domestically and grossed $274 million worldwide before exiting theaters. Jolie reprised the role for 2003’s Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life. The sequel didn’t fare as well during its theatrical run, ringing up a total of just $156 million overall.