Ben Wheatley set to direct Tomb Raider sequel

4 September 2019

Ben Wheatley is set to direct the 'Tomb Raider' sequel.

Ben Wheatley

The 47-year-old filmmaker will helm the second film in the rebooted franchise, which was first brought back to screens last year with Alicia Vikander in the lead role of Lara Croft, after she took over from previous star Angelina Jolie.

An individual with knowledge of the production told The Wrap that the sequel is set to be released in March 2021, with production set to begin early next year.

Amy Jump - who previously wrote Ben's movies 'Free Fire' and 'High Rise' - will write the script for the flick, whilst Graham King will produce through his GK Films banner.

The 'Tomb Raider' franchise began life as a popular action adventure video game series which centred on fictional British archaeologist Lara Croft, who travels around the world searching for lost artefacts and infiltrating dangerous tombs and ruins.

The games were first developed into a movie called 'Lara Croft: Tomb Raider' in 2001, with Angelina Jolie in the titular role, and went on to spawn a sequel in 2003 titled 'Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - The Cradle of Life'.

Last year, the film franchise was rebooted, with Alicia Vikander in the lead role and Roar Uthaug at the helm of the movie, which was based on the rebooted version of the video game franchise, which was released in 2013.

Alicia, 30, previously said it felt "very empowering" to take on the role of the strong female character, and relished going outside of her comfort zone for the coveted part.

She shared: "I don't know when in life I would have been exposed to try so many new things, if it weren't for this role. I found it very empowering."

Alicia also revealed she was inspired by Angelina's appearance as Lara Croft during her younger years.

She added: "Angelina Jolie, when she stepped into the shoes of Lara Croft, it was the first time I had seen a woman being the centrepiece of this kind of action story.

"I've grown up loving these kinds of films and I've always wondered what it's like to create these big stunts, sequences and action adventures. So, I really was intrigued to do the physical part of stepping into this role."