Source: Deadline
Tomb Raider Heroine Lara Croft Gets Movie Makeover From Top Action Writers
| Thursday May 5, 2011 @ 7:00am EDT
The Iron Man and Cowboys & Aliens writing team of Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby have been hired by GK Films to script the rebooted Tomb Raider film franchise. They will create a new adventure storyline for archaeologist/adventuress Lara Croft, played in the original Paramount films by Angelina Jolie. GK partners Graham King and Tim Headington are producing.
CAA-repped Fergus and Ostby most recently re-teamed with director Jon Favreau for Cowboys & Aliens, which Universal releases July 29 and their other credits include Children of Men. In March, GK made a deal for the rights with London-based videogame company Eidos.
The real obstacle for this reboot is overcoming the fact that the ideal actress for the Lara Croft franchise is the one who played her in the first place. Female-driven action films have proven to be something of a dead zone in most cases. Besides Jolie, few actresses have been successful as action heroes, with Kate Beckinsale doing business in the Underworld series and Mila Jovovich in the Resident Evil films. Beyond getting a strong script and filmmaker, GK’s challenge will be combing the list of up and coming actresses to find the next Jolie. Then again, that’s the gambit for The Hunger Games, with Lionsgate and director Gary Ross betting big on Oscar-nominated Winter’s Bone star Jennifer Lawrence, who’ll next be seen playing a young Mystique in X-Men: First Class. Who among the younger actress set would make a great Lara Croft?
Source: GK Films
GK FILMS HIRES MARK FERGUS AND HAWK OSTBY FOR TOMB RAIDER REBOOT
Academy Award®- nominated writing team, Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby will write the first feature of the newly announced reboot of the “Tomb Raider” film franchise. The films will create daring new adventures for the young and dynamic Lara Croft. Graham King and Tim Headington will produce. No casting has been announced.
Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby’s credits include Alfonso Cuaron’s “Children of Men,” which earned them an Academy Award® nomination and Jon Favreau’s mega box-office success “Iron Man” starring Robert Downey Jr. Their next film “Cowboys & Aliens,” also a collaboration with Favreau, starring Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig, is set to be released on July 29th of this year.
“Mark and Hawk’s clear sensibilities of action and emotion are perfect for the direction we are taking this franchise,” King said.
"We are thrilled to be working with Graham King and his formidable team -- and we aim to write an origin story for Lara Croft that solidifies her place alongside Ellen Ripley and Sarah Connor in the pantheon of great female action heroes” Fergus and Hawk stated.
"It is great to have such a high caliber of writing talent on board to realize the film vision of this exciting project," said Phil Rogers president & CEO, Square Enix Europe.
The original TOMB RAIDER game was published in 1996 by the London based video game company Eidos and became one of the most successful video games of the time. Today Eidos (including Crystal Dynamics), is part of an international interactive entertainment group, Square Enix Europe and the stage is set for this new chapter in TOMB RAIDER history.
A pop culture phenomenon, the original games have sold over 35million game units worldwide and Lara Croft, along with Mario Brothers is the most recognized name in gaming history.
Starring Angelina Jolie, Paramount Pictures made two movies based on the daredevil archaeologist on a series of global missions in 2001 and 2003. They grossed a total of $432m at the worldwide box office.
Fergus and Ostby are represented by CAA.
Tomb Raider Reboot: Who In the Name of Lara Croft Could Replace Angelina Jolie?
By Anne Thompson, Thompson on Hollywood
Yes, another reboot. GK Films is kicking of their new and (hopefully) improved Tomb Raider with the writers behind Iron Man and Cowboys & Aliens—Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby. They hope to create a “young and dynamic Lara Croft” and a new adventure story for the franchise (see more below on the original video game). Simon West directed Lara Croft: Tomb Raider in 2001, and two years later it was Jan de Bont with the less-successful Cradle of Life (the first made almost $275 million worldwide, the second only $156 million). While finding an adequate director for the reboot should be straight forward enough, it seems unimaginable that any actress can hold a candle to Angelina Jolie, in this or any other franchise. But assuming her Lara Croft days are indeed over, lets dreamcast the reboot. We’ll leave out those who already have or had franchises (i.e. Jennifer Lawrence, Kate Beckinsale, Milla Jovovich, Charlize Theron, etc). We’ve included a few that are probably a) too young, b) too short, c) not tough enough, d) too blond or c) can’t act. But humor us, and vote below.
Among GK Film’s other projects in the works: Jolie’s Bosnian love story, Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows, and Martin Scorsese’s Hugo Cabret, to name a few. Recent box office successes include Rango and The Town, and with nearly $278 million worldwide, their Jolie-Johnny Depp vehicle, The Tourist, can’t be ignored.
Thu., May. 5, 2011, 4:00am PT
Scribes to crack 'Tomb' GK Films taps Fergus, Ostby for 'Raider'
Graham King and Tim Headington are producing.
"Mark and Hawk's clear sensibilities of action and emotion are perfect for the direction we are taking this franchise," King said.
GK Films announced in March that it had acquired feature rights to the Lara Croft franchise from Japanese vidgame company Square Enix, with the goal of a 2013 release.
Fergus and Ostby's credits include "Children of Men" and "Iron Man." "We are thrilled to be working with Graham King and his formidable team -- and we aim to write an origin story for Lara Croft that solidifies her place alongside Ellen Ripley and Sarah Connor in the pantheon of great female action heroes" Fergus and Hawk said.
The 15-year-old vidgame franchise is one of the most popular in the more than 35 million game units sold worldwide. Paramount produced a pair of films -- 2001's "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" and 2003's "Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life," both starring Angelina Jolie as the Brit archaeologist -- with combined worldwide grosses totaling $432 million.
British gamemaker Eidos launched the first Tomb Raider game in 1996 as a series of tombs through which players guide Lara Croft on a dangerous journey. Warner Bros., which owned 20% of Eidos, had launched development of a Tomb Raider project several years ago with Dan Lin producing, but the feature rights went to Square Enix after Eidos agreed in 2009 to be purchased by Square Enix for $120 million.
GK Films produced "Rango" and is in post-production on "Hugo Cabret," an untitled love story written and directed by Jolie, the crime drama "London Boulevard" and "The Rum Diary."
Fergus and Ostby are represented by CAA.
Contact Dave McNary at dave.mcnary@variety.com
