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tomb raider

Latino Review has reported on a rumor posted by The Tracking Board, stating that the producers for the Tomb Raider film reboot (we already have the video game reboot) are closing in on three potential directors: Kathryn Bigelow, Mimi Leder, and Catherine Hardwicke.

Aside from my first thought being that Bigelow seems like a long-shot (she’s the go-to pick for “we’re looking for a female director”) my hopes are high for a very specific reason: each of these directors have the potential to put their own spin on this franchise.

Bigelow is kind of an obvious choice. She’s a damn good action director, and you’ll need damn good action for a Tomb Raider film. It’d be crystal clear, straight-forward (in a good way), and hard-hitting.

Hardwicke is a bit more interesting. While she has a less experience on the action side of things, she seems the best potential to bring a more interesting Lara Croft to the front. There have been numerous characterizations of Lara in the games, from flirtatious, to ice-queen, to survivor, and Hardwicke has the potential to dig deep and find something unique in bringing the video game icon to the silver screen.

Leder is sort of the wild card. She’s been away from film for six years now, working mostly in television. However, having directed The Peacemaker and Deep Impact she has the potential to bring a globe-trotting scale to a new Lara Croft adventure.

Personally, I’m pulling for Leder. Hardwicke is tied up in numerous other projects, and we’ve already seen the heavy-action version. I’m ready to see the world-spanning exploits of Lara Croft: Tomb Raider.

Latino Review and Tracking Board

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Andrew Walsh

Andrew Walsh is an independent filmmaker and freelance writer based in LA. He co-directed his first feature in high school, is an avid juggler, and is a descendant of director Raoul Walsh. One of those might not be true.

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