Alicia Vikander As Lara Croft In ‘Tomb Raider’ Nails The Look
Alicia Vikander has some rather large shoes to fill in her latest movie outing as Lara Croft, but if the first images are any clue, she’s stepping up to the task nicely. The last time that Lara Croft made her way to the silver screen was nearly 15 years ago in 2003 during Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life. The titular action heroine was played by Angelia Jolie, and that movie was a sequel to the 2001 film, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.
The new film, simply titled Tomb Raider is due to be released on March 16, 2018 and is based on the 2013 video game by Crystal Dynamics. The video game and movie are not reboots, but prequels to the previously established canon. The film will take rough cues from the game, but not adhere strictly to the plot. However, in an interview with GQ, the director, Roar Uthaug, stated that fans of the game will be pleasantly surprised to see things that they recognize in the film.
Fan Reactions to Alicia Vikander as Lara Croft
The stills and images of Alicia Vikander in full costume were released in conjunction with the interview, and the similarities made fans sit up and take notice. All across social media, people were amazed at how much Vikander nailed the look of video game Lara Croft.
Nailed the look#TombRaider pic.twitter.com/cn4R9kIgQi
— ????? ? (@dhauxx) March 27, 2017
Alicia’s look is so spot on, that fans such as this one have called it, “Identical!”
Photography and filming began shooting on January 23, 2017. The origin story will also star Walton Goggins in the role of the primary villain, Father Mathias Vogel. Dominic West also stars as Lara Croft’s deceased father, Lord Richard Croft.
Training to be Lara Croft
In preparation for the role, Vikander has been training with Magnus Lygdbäck, the personal trainer responsible for getting Alexander Skarsgård in shape for 2016’s The Legend of Tarzan. Lygdbäck also trained Ben Affleck in preparation for his role as Bruce Wayne and Batman, and also has worked with Harry Styles and Britney Spears.
Alicia Vikander’s workout started four months before principal filming began. The intense regime included heavy lifting almost daily coupled with boxing and MMA practice four times per week. Climbing practice ate up the other two to three days, with stunt rehearsals consuming the rest of her time. Just before filming began, they cut back on her workouts, focusing on high-intensity interval training and gym workouts to maintain her strength and physique.
As can be seen in the released photos, the workouts have paid off in spades. Vikander looks like she embodies the determination and spirit of the young pre-Tomb Raider Lara Croft portrayed in the video games.
Vikander’s Earlier Work
Alicia Vikander first burst onto the Hollywood scene when she played Gerda Wegener in The Danish Girl in 2015. She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and a Golden Globe nomination. She also starred as Ava in the popular science fiction film, Ex Machina, for which she earned another Golden Globe nomination and won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.
Vikander was already a well-established actress in Sweden before her awards in the United States. Her debut as the lead of the Swedish film Pure garnered her critical acclaim and the Stockholm Film Festival award for Rising Star as well as the Guldbagge Award for Best Actress.
After Alicia finishes with Tomb Raider, she is rumored to be on the short list of actresses for a biopic about the mystery author, Agatha Christie.
Vikander currently resides in London and has been in a long-term relationship with Michael Fassbender, her co-star from The Light Between Oceans.
[Featured Image by Crystal Dynamics]
