Alicia Vikander suits up as Lara Croft in new images

The new Lara Croft movie is due out in theatres next year, but we already have our first official look at Alicia Vikander as the iconic archaeologist.

Director Roar Uthaug recently sat down with GQ and revealed a few details about the upcoming project, including two new images of Alicia Vikander as Lara Croft. In the interview, Uthagu opens up about the inspiration for the movie and the bad reputation video game movies have.

“We drew a lot of inspiration and reference from the game and the entire Tomb Raider canon to develop our world, and I believe fans will recognize that,” revealed Uthaug. “At the same time, this is a completely different theatrical approach to Lara Croft that will offer something new in the origin and development of the character. It’s a story that not only highlights her incredible physical accomplishments but delves deeper into her humanity.”

What type of movie will this be?

It’s always difficult to approach a character’s origin story when it has already been explored. Sometimes there are different elements to explore and new storylines worth expanding upon. Uthaug  divulged how the 2013 video game reboot influenced the upcoming film.

“That game was certainly part of what inspired our film,” said Uthaug. “I think fans will be delighted to discover many touchstones from the game throughout the story. At the same time, this is not the kind of video game adaptation you often see, with a lot of CGI and effects. Our movie takes a more realistic, grounded approach. Lara Croft is a hero and a champion but she is not a superhero. She is very much human, and we see her deal with that humanity in many ways.”

There has been a recent trend to either fully embrace CGI or go the opposite direction and use it sparingly to focus on the characters. A movie like Mad Max: Fury Road is a great example of that where the story is king and the visuals only adds to the plot. Keeping the movie grounded in reality should serve to make Lara Croft a more human and relatable character.

The untitled Lara Croft reboot will be out next March.