Tomb Raider film rights up for grabs. According to a report by TheWrap, Amazon-owned MGM has waited too long to create a sequel to its 2018 Tomb Raider film, clearing the rights to the next Hollywood studio looking to attempt an adaptation of the long-running video game -Franchise.
Several studios are currently in a bidding war to get the Tomb Raider rights, reports TheWrap. And since the license comes with no obligation to keep the same cast and crew, the next Tomb Raider movie could be a complete reboot, passing the baton from Lara Croft to yet another actress.
Starring Alicia Vikander as Lara Croft, The 2018 Tomb Raider was met with mixed reviews criticizing its poor portrayal of the series’ titular archaeologist. As we noted in our review at the time, MGM’s Tomb Raider seems to mix elements from the 2013 game with the early 2000’s Tomb Raider film adaptations starring Angelina Jolie (which didn’t get the best reviews either).
MGM originally planned to release a sequel to its film in 2021, but the COVID-19 pandemic likely got in the way of production. In 2020, the film’s director, Ben Wheaton, told The Verge’s sister site Polygon that he was still determined to make the film, but it was “in the fog of COVID.” It’s possible that Amazon’s acquisition of MGM in March also had something to do with the studio’s decision not to greenlight another Tomb Raider.
On the small screen, Netflix is still working on an animated Tomb Raider adaptation. The series, which still doesn’t have an official release date, will take place after the reboot of the game’s trilogy that ended with Shadow of the Tomb Raider.