The future of Tomb Raider 2 is now in no-man’s-land after MGM lost the film rights to the lucrative IP, according to an exclusive report by The Wrap. Reportedly, MGM lost the film rights after the studio missed the May deadline to officially greenlight a sequel to the 2018 movie.
The adventure movie, which starred Alicia Vikander as Lara Croft, earned nearly $275 million at the box office — although it had a mixed reception among critics. According to The Wrap, Vikander is no longer attached to the hypothetical sequel. But that doesn’t mean another Tomb Raider movie won’t happen — insiders told the outlet that, at present, multiple Hollywood studios are putting in bids for the IP, leaving the Tomb Raider franchise at the centre of an expensive bidding war.
At one point, Misha Greene was said to be writing and directing a Tomb Raider 2 — but now, insiders have claimed that a new movie would act as a further reboot of the franchise as opposed to a follow up 2018’s Tomb Raider, with no directors, writers, or cast members attached to the project.
In 2011, Graham King, who owns the production company GK Films, acquired the rights for Tomb Raider from gaming company Square Enix. The Wrap report that he is currently considering the various offers being made by Hollywood studios hoping to acquire rights to the IP.
This isn’t the first time Hollywood has tried to bring Lara Croft to the big screen. In the ‘2000s, Angelina Jolie played the adventurer in not one, but two action movies. Although critical responses to the films where mixed, both were considered a financial success, and plans were made for a third movie until Jolie declined to play the role of Lara Croft again.
If all this news on Tomb Raider has left you itching for adventure, check out our guide on how to watch all the Indiana Jones movies in order.