Angelina Jolie-less ‘Tomb Raider’ film project being planned

Angelina Jolie not involved in new Tomb Raider film

Angelina Jolie will not be part of the new "Tomb Raider" movie being readied by producer Graham King slated for release in 2013.

King, whose credits include the Academy Award winning thriller film "The Departed", has acquired the movie rights to "Tomb Raider" and plans to reboot the franchise.

Angelina Jolie played the character Lara Croft in two "Tomb Raider" movies: "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" in 2001 and "Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life" in 2003.

The movies were based on the hit action-adventure video game in the 1990s and were certified blockbusters earning $432 million. The franchise catapulted Angelina Jolie into Hollywood superstardom.

Angelina Jolie, whose latest film "The Tourist" did not fare well in the box office, had said in the past that it is unlikely that she will be reprising the Lara Croft character and that she was satisfied with what they did with the two films.

Many actresses like Megan Fox, Mila Kunis and Olivia Wilde have been linked to the new project.

GK Films said in a statement that it will "create daring new adventures for the young and dynamic Lara Croft." An origin story of the character is being considered but no writer has been attached to the project yet.

An earlier film project by Warner Bros. in the early 2000s failed to get past the early stages of development. Video game company Crystal Dynamics in December said it was developing a new "Tomb Raider" video game which tackles the origins of its protagonist.

Eidos launched the video game in 1996. It grew into a franchise and spawned game sequels. Its success peaked with the two "Tomb Raider" movies featuring Angelina Jolie.

Posted by Kade Quinn on Saturday March 12 2011, 6:12 AM EST. Ref: Reuters. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Entertainment, Featured News. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0