If you’re looking for information on the next Tomb Raider game, check out our round-up of news about Shadow of the Tomb Raider and our Shadow of the Tomb Raider review.
When is the Blu-ray release date?
The new Tomb Raider film hit cinemas in March, so check out our review to find out what we thought at the time. You can buy a digital copy of the film right now, and if you’re in the US you can also grab it on DVD or Blu-ray. In the UK there’s a few more days to wait at the time of writing, with a Blu-ray release date set for 16 July, though you can pre-order the film now. Check out our guide to the biggest upcoming films to find out what else is due on the big screen this year.
Cast and crew
The big star this time around, taking over from Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft herself, is Swedish actress Alicia Vikander, best known for her parts in Ex Machina and The Danish Girl, though this is her first major action lead. She’s joined by Dominic West (The Wire, 300) as Croft’s missing and/or dead father Lord Richard Croft, who sparks her mission to go tomb raiding in the first place. Daniel Wu (Into the Badlands) will be by her side on the way, while Walter Goggins (The Hateful Eight) plays the big bad. Making his Hollywood debut is director Roar Uthaug (what a name!), who’s made his name so far in Norway, most recently with 2015 tsunami drama The Wave. Meanwhile the script comes from Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Alasdair Siddons. Siddons’s only other writing credit is for the (excellent) Irish traveller film Trespass Against Us, while this will be Robertson-Dworet’s first release – but since she’s also working on the upcoming Captain Marvel, she’s clearly turned in good work.
The latest posters and photos
The most recognisable bit of artwork for the Tomb Raider movie is the main poster starring Vikander, which was the victim of a few days of social media ridicule after fans noticed some slightly unfortunate Photoshop work to lengthen the star’s neck:
If that poster doesn’t make it clear, the film’s official photographs should help sell the fact that this adaptation is meant to be more gritty and dark than the Jolie movies, setting Croft up to have a bit of a tricky time on the fictional Japanese island where the film is set.
Still, at least we know she’ll be busting out a bow-and-arrow at some point in proceedings – another nod that this film is taking its cues from the most recent series of Tomb Raider games, which follow a younger Croft getting to grips with heroism – and rarely far from a bow.
Watch the trailers
So far there have been two official trailers for Tomb Raider. The first, which you can also see above, is a little more of a teaser, hurtling through setup of the basic story, Lara’s character, and some of the film’s biggest action beats.
The second trailer shows a few of the same moments, but with some extended action beats and a new focus on Croft’s father, and the villainous Trinity organisation. Oh, there’s also a slightly (very) overblown cover of Destiny’s Child hit Survivor, so look out for that.
What’s the story?
As we said above, this Tomb Raider film follows a young Lara Croft as she begins her adventuring days. It’s a plot with parallels to the recent videogame reboot of the Tomb Raider franchise, but the film looks set to forge its own path. The official synopsis probably puts it best: “Lara Croft is the fiercely independent daughter of an eccentric adventurer who vanished when she was scarcely a teen. Now a young woman of 21 without any real focus or purpose, Lara navigates the chaotic streets of trendy East London as a bike courier, barely making the rent, and takes college courses, rarely making it to class. Determined to forge her own path, she refuses to take the reins of her father’s global empire just as staunchly as she rejects the idea that he’s truly gone. Advised to face the facts and move forward after seven years without him, even Lara can’t understand what drives her to finally solve the puzzle of his mysterious death. “Going explicitly against his final wishes, she leaves everything she knows behind in search of her dad’s last-known destination: a fabled tomb on a mythical island that might be somewhere off the coast of Japan. But her mission will not be an easy one; just reaching the island will be extremely treacherous. Suddenly, the stakes couldn’t be higher for Lara, who—against the odds and armed with only her sharp mind, blind faith and inherently stubborn spirit—must learn to push herself beyond her limits as she journeys into the unknown. If she survives this perilous adventure, it could be the making of her, earning her the name tomb raider.” Tech Advisor’s Deputy Editor, Dom covers everything that runs on electricity, from phones and laptops to wearables, audio, gaming, smart home, and streaming - plus he’s a regular fixture on the Tech Advisor YouTube channel.
