Earlier this summer, we reported that Warner Bros. and MGM are seeking a female director for their upcomingTomb Raiderreboot, which was written byEvan Daugherty(Divergent,Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles). That report revealed the studios were seeing a “Michelle MacLaren-type,” referring to theBreaking BaddirectorMichelle MacLaren, who was initially attached to directWonder Womanbefore she parted ways with the project. Today we have a new report fromThe Tracking Board, which claims thatKathryn Bigelow,Catherine HardwickeandMimi Lederare the front runners for this directorial gig.
The site also reports that Tricia Brock, a prolific TV director who has directed episodes ofThe Walking Dead,Girls,Mr. RobotandOrange Is the New Black, was thought to be attached to direct, although sources claim she eventually passed onTomb Raider. No plot details have been released at this time, but sources claim that this project will feature a much younger version ofLara Croft. Ironically,Kathryn Bigelow,Catherine HardwickeandMimi Lederwere also on Warner Bros.' short list of directorial candidates forWonder Woman.
Angelina Joliestarred in 2001’sLara Croft: Tomb Raider, which is still the onlyvideo gameadaptation to earn more than $100 million at the domestic box office, with $131.1 million domestic and $274.7 million worldwide. That action-adventure spawned the 2003 sequelLara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle Of Life, which earned $65.6 million domestic and $156.5 million worldwide. The video game series followed Lara on her whirlwind adventures while she tracked down priceless artifacts and battled supernatural beings along the way.
Warner Bros. will co-distributeTomb Raiderwith MGM, with GK Films’Graham Kingproducing. No production schedule was given, but the reboot is said to be on the fast track, with “strong progress to production language” in the producers' contract with video game publisher Square Enix. We’ll have to see how long it will take the studio to bring a director on board, but it seems unlikely that shooting will begin this year.
Kathryn Bigelowhasn’t directed a film since her Oscar-nominated dramaZero Dark Thirtyback in 2012, but we reported last year she’s developing a biopic on U.S. Army soldierBowe Bergdahl, who had been captured by the Taliban after wandering off his base. Last year, the U.S. set free five Taliban prisoners in exchange for the release ofBowe Bergdahl, who spent five years in captivity.Catherine Hardwicke’s latest offering,Miss You Already, hits theaters November 6, whileMimi Lederhas been keeping busy on the small screen, serving as executive producer and director of HBO’sThe Leftovers.
