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It is sometimes hard to believe that it has almost been thirty years since the first Tomb Raider games came into our lives, and with it, Lara Croft herself.
The franchise was born during the same year as myself so that is perhaps why I have always had an affinity with it.
More likely, it is because this was one of few female video game characters I grew up with.
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Despite Lara Croft being viewed as a sex icon (despite the triangular breasts), as a child, I saw a strong woman who could win any argument, either with her sharp, intelligent tongue or iconic dual pistols.
This is not me telling you that Lara Croft cannot also be viewed for her beauty.
Let’s face it, she has been portrayed by actresses such as Angelina Jolie and Alicia Vikander but it is me trying to explain that that wasn’t what made the character so important to me growing up.
Like the franchise, I am almost 30 now and despite the decades passing, Tomb Raider and Lara Croft herself show no signs of dwindling popularity.
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In the past decade alone, we have welcomed the Tomb Raider Survivor Trilogy by Crystal Dynamics which was the first time we had seen Lara’s origin story since the very beginning.
We also saw Tomb Raider I-III Remastered earlier this year and Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered is set to launch in 2025.
Lara Croft has also appeared as a playable character in games such as Dead By Daylight, Fortnite, Call of Duty: Warzone and Fall Guys to name a few and a film titled Tomb Raider with Alicia Vikander taking on the iconic role hit cinemas back in 2018.
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In the works, thanks to a collaboration with Amazon and Crystal Dynamics, is another Tomb Raider movie with Phoebe Waller-Bridge in charge of the script and not to mention the Netflix animated series Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft whose first season aired just last month.
You only have to search for Tomb Raider and you will be bombarded with hundreds of movies, television shows, video games and other media appearances over Lara’s almost thirty-year reign.
So what is it about Lara Croft that makes her so damn desirable?
So much so, that the aforementioned upcoming Amazon film has reportedly got two actresses in mind to take on the iconic role of our favourite adventurer.
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According to a recent report by Deadline, Game of Thrones’ actress Sophie Turner and Barbie’s Lucy Boynton are in talks to play Lara Croft in Amazon’s Tomb Raider movie.
Turner is perhaps best known for her portrayal of Sansa Stark in the hit television show Game of Thrones.
As for Boynton, she has starred in multiple Hollywood movies such as Barbie, Bohemian Rhapsody and Miss Potter where she made her acting debut.
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Now don’t get me wrong, both actors are amazing and I have been proved wrong in the past when it comes to doubting a casting and then being blown away by their performance.
The role of the actor is to embody the character, regardless of how they look or their previous roles, but am I alone in thinking that neither Turner or Boynton scream Lara Croft?
It is no secret that the heroine has been portrayed by multiple actresses since her arrival in 1996 but let’s face it, there is one actress that still remains unbeaten.
Angelina Jolie.
Debuting as Lara in 2001’s Lara Croft: Tomb Raider as well as its sequel 2003’s Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, Angelina Jolie was very much the Lara Croft that I grew up with.
So much so that if you asked me to picture a live-action Lara Croft right now, my mind would instantly go to Angelina Jolie’s infamous braid and dual pistols despite her not returning for the role in over twenty-years.
However, it seems as though I am not the only one thinking this.
After the news that Turner or Boynton may take on the role of Lara Croft, Twitter was soon filled with fans posting the “one true Lara” alongside screenshots of Angelina Jolie.
“We used to be a country. A proper country with Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft”, one Tweet read.
Another said: “Angelina Jolie will always be MY Lara Croft!!!”
I am always an advocate for younger and lesser-known actors getting their chance to shine in such prolific roles and you could also argue that Angelina Jolie is too “old” to play Lara Croft, considering she is always portrayed in her twenties.
However, nostalgia is not always a bad thing, as much as that word is thrown around as an insult in the media sphere, and for me, Jolie encapsulated Lara’s ferocity, intelligence and sass in a way that has not been beaten to this day.
That being said, I am happy to be proven wrong and I guess time will tell with the arrival of this future live-action adaptation.
No pressure.
Topics: Tomb Raider, TV And Film, Features, Amazon, Square Enix