Daisy Ridley In Talks To Star As Lara Croft In New 'Tomb Raider' Film
Daisy Ridley, the breakout star of the blockbuster hit "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," has confirmed that she is in talks to play iconic video game heroine Lara Croft in the next "Tomb Raider" film.
The role was made famous by Angelina Jolie in the 2001 action-adventure thriller "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" and its 2003 sequel "Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life."
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter at the Empire Awards in London on Sunday, March 20, Ridley said that there "have been conversations" about her taking on the role of Lara Croft, though she also admitted that she has not been officially offered the part. The actress picked up the Best Female Newcomer award at the event.
"I'm waiting for someone to say 'I want you, let's do it,'" Ridley told THR.
Though Ridley said that there is no script for the reboot yet, "The Wave" director Roar Uthaug, who is set to helm the new "Tomb Raider" film, has said that it will be based on the revamped "Tomb Raider" video game series.
"I think making Lara Croft feel like a real human being, that's definitely something we want to bring to the big screen as well," Uthaug told IGN earlier this month.
In "Rise of the Tomb Raider" (2015), the most recent release from the video game series, "Grey's Anatomy" actress Camilla Luddington, who portrays the archaeologist-adventurer Lara Croft, lends her voice and also does motion capture for the role.
John Boyega, who co-starred with Ridley in "The Force Awakens," told THR that he himself thinks Ridley would be perfect as Lara Croft.
"I played 'Tomb Raider' the game, it's a new take and I think the movies are going to be based on that version," he said. "But I texted Daisy [and] was like, 'this is you!' and 'you need to get on that because you could be Lara Croft.' She should be."
Ridley and Boyega are currently filming "Star Wars: Episode VIII," which is scheduled to be released Dec. 15, 2017.