From PlayStation to the big screen.
This Friday, March 16, Alicia Vikander steps into the role of Lara Croft in Tomb Raider, the third movie based on the fictional archaeologist. Only this time, instead of toting twin pistols, she's notching a bow and arrow.
The most recent video games and film constitute a reboot, and they cover Lara's younger years, when she was more of a survivor than a matured heroine. But these aren't the first new interpretations the character's had over the years. Here's a brief history of Tomb Raider's Lara Croft from her humble beginnings to today.
24. Preliminary Sketch of Lara Croft
Date: 1995
Toby Gard was the creator of Lara Croft. Here is an early sketch of what would eventually become the famous English archaeologist. Gard originally envisioned her as a South American woman named Laura Cruz, and already, signature elements of her look--her arched eyebrows, her long braid--were in place. Her breasts were also notably smaller; they got much bigger during Tomb Raider's production phase, when Gard accidentally enlarged them by 150%. The rest of the team pushed to keep the alteration, and it stuck.
Image Credit: Living Tomb Raider
23. Tomb Raider
Date: 1996
The original Tomb Raider is widely considered a classic game. It combined cinematic gameplay--the type that would later be co-opted by Uncharted--with atmospheric tension. Tomb Raider was an Indiana Jones adventure serial for a new generation, and Lara became an immediate gaming icon, prompting both praise and critical think pieces. But Gard left the series after this first installment. He was displeased with how Lara's sexuality was being marketed outside of the game; he wanted to work on her characterization. He would finally get that chance one decade later.
Image Credit: Square Enix
22. Nathalie Cook
Date: 1996-1997
From the very beginning, Eidos hired real-life models to play Lara Croft in photoshoots and promotional live events. Nathalie Cook was the first of these models; prior to her job as Lara, she was a live-action Snow White for Disney. She wasn't given much direction about how to perform the character--just that she was supposed to be "badass" and "kick-ass."
Image Credit: Square Enix
21. Tomb Raider II
Date: 1997
Despite lacking Gard's creative input, Tomb Raider II was the equal of its predecessor, and sold close to 8 million copies. The graphics were improved, the levels were more massive, and the puzzles were more abstract. With two critically acclaimed, commercially successful games under its belt, Eidos had a booming franchise on its hands.
Image Credit: Square Enix
20. Rhona Mitra
Date: 1997-1998
The next real-life model Eidos hired to portray Lara was Rhona Mitra. She even released two albums in-character as Lara Croft, with the help of Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics. This was the era of Lara Croft saturation; several years later, the bubble would burst.
Image Credit: Square Enix
19. Tomb Raider III
Date: 1998
Also critically and commercially successful, Tomb Raider III was criticized by some for adhering to the same formula. Still, when the formula is this solid, why tinker with it? Tomb Raider III was also far more difficult than its predecessors. The strategy guide was a near-necessary tool to success.
Image Credit: Square Enix
18. Vanessa Demouy
Date: 1998
A French actress and model, Vanessa Demouy briefly served as the Lara Croft real-life model for a handful of appearances. She would be replaced by Nell McAndrew by the end of the year.
Image Credit: VSD Magazine
17. Nell McAndrew
Date: 1998-1999
Nell McAndrew portrayed Lara until she was fired by Eidos for posing in Playboy and using the Tomb Raider name to market her appearance. Eidos filed and won an injunction against Playboy, who were ordered to cover up 'Tomb Raider' on their magazine's cover with a sticker. McAndrew would subsequently go on to become a fitness model and instructor.
Image Credit: Square Enix
16. Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation
Date: 1999
The Last Revelation was the last commercially successful Tomb Raider of the "first era." It sold 5 million copies, which is nothing to sneeze at. But as the fourth Tomb Raider game in only four years, both the Core Design team and the audience were getting burnt out. Hoping to pivot to a different project, the team "killed" Lara at the game's conclusion, much to the chagrin of blindsided executives.
Image Credit: Square Enix
15. Lara Weller
Date: 1999-2000
Dutch lingerie model Lara Weller portrayed Lara throughout the Last Revelation marketing cycle. She made her first appearance in character at the 1999 E3 Expo.
Image Credit: Square Enix
14. Tomb Raider: Chronicles
Date: 2000
Designer Andy Sandham referred to Chronicles as a "load of old s**t." The fifth Tomb Raider title in five years also came at the tail end of the Sony Playstation's life cycle; the developers were working off an old engine because there was no time to develop a new one. The game sold only 1.5 million copies; fans were no longer content with getting more of the same.
Image Credit: Square Enix
13. Lucy Clarkson
Date: 2000-2002
Fashion and magazine model Lucy Clarkson became the new Lara Croft real-life model when she was 17 years old. Clarkson was instrumental to the Chronicles marketing campaign, and she stayed on afterwards for two-and-a-half years total--more than any Lara model before her.
Image Credit: Square Enix
12. Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
Date: 2001
When Lara was set to make her big-screen debut, many actresses were considered for the role, including Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ashley Judd, and Denise Richards. The filmmakers ultimately chose Angelina Jolie. But despite signing an Oscar-winning actress, they didn't have the script to match. Lara Croft: Tomb Raider was a critical disaster, though it made over $250 million worldwide. Jolie was key to that popularity.
Image Credit: BBC Films
11. Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness
Date: 2003
At last, we arrive at the worst Tomb Raider home console game of all time--so bad, in fact, that it nearly killed off the franchise. This was the first Tomb Raider game developed for the Playstation 2, and the developers bit off more than they could chew. They attempted to add RPG elements, melee combat, and stealth mechanics, but they ran out of time to do any of these well. The Angel of Darkness shipped with multiple bugs and a half-explained story, and multiple critics described the controls as dated, especially when compared to other next-gen offerings.
Image Credit: Square Enix
10. Jill de Jong
Date: 2002-2004
Jill de Jong was the Lara Croft real-life model for the Angel of Darkness marketing cycle. After getting the role, de Jong worked with a choreographer to master some basic hand-to-hand combat, and she would flip men upside down as part of her public gig.
Image Credit: Square Enix
9. Lara Croft: Tomb Raider -- The Cradle of Life
Date: 2003
Angelina Jolie's second stint as Lara Croft went better than her first stint, at least critically. The Cradle of Life received mixed reviews instead of uniformly negative ones, though it did not make as much money as its predecessor. Jolie had the option of playing Lara in a third film, but she declined, and the producers chose not replace her. Perhaps they knew they could not get another starring actress with the same wattage. This would be the last feature film in the Tomb Raider franchise for 15 years.
Image Credit: BBC Films
8. Tomb Raider: Legend
Date: 2006
Legend was the first Tomb Raider game that Core Design did not develop. Instead, Crystal Dynamics took over development duties, and Lara creator Toby Gard returned as a creative consultant; his role eventually evolved to the point where he was a credited writer. Legend was a return to form for the franchise, and Lara's acrobatic fluidity was a vast improvement over prior games' controls.
Image Credit: Square Enix
7. Karima Adebibe
Date(s): 2006-2008
One of the most popular and well-known Lara Croft real-life models, Karima Adebibe portrayed Lara for both the Legend and Anniversary marketing cycles. Not only did the Moroccan-Irish-Greek-English actress undergo basic combat training, but she also underwent etiquette and elocution lessons. Unlike many of the prior Laras, who were under Eidos orders to remain silent while in costume, Adebibe was expected to converse and interact in-character, which made her a popular media presence.
Credit: Square Enix
6. Tomb Raider: Anniversary
Date: 2007
Coming on the heels of Legend, Anniversary was a extensive remake of the original 1996 game, with extended climbing sequences, animated cutscenes, and an updated Legend move arsenal. It received positive critical reviews though it was the least commercially successful Tomb Raider game, with 1.3 million copies sold.
Credit: Square Enix
5. Tomb Raider: Underworld
Date: 2008
The final game in the Legend trilogy, Underworld bridged the gap between the PS3/Xbox 360 seventh generation and the PS2/Xbox sixth generation. Although the seventh generation iteration received positive reviews and praise, the older, sixth generation iteration was lambasted for its oversimplification. It would be another five years before Tomb Raider fans received a game that took full advantage of the seventh generation's processing power.
Image Credit: Square Enix
4. Alison Carroll
Date: 2008-2010
Professional display gymnast and gymnastics coach Alison Carroll was the final official Lara Croft real-life model, and she represented the character during the Underworld marketing cycle. Eidos discontinued the job when they rebooted the franchise for the third time. Carroll is currently the founder and head coach of Lightning Gymnastics, and she still works with video games; she most recently performed motion capture work for Horizon Zero Dawn.
Image Credit: Georges Seguin
3. Tomb Raider (reboot)
Date: 2013
The most recent franchise reboot goes back to Lara's earlier years, before she was a cool, calculated heroine. In Tomb Raider (2013), she's a young survivor from a shipwreck, and she goes through a gauntlet of physically grueling obstacles to rescue her friends and uncover the secrets of Yamatai island. Tomb Raider introduced Lara's bow and arrow, which have become as iconic as her twin pistols. The game also had a more realistic visual style than prior titles, and Lara's eyes-to-face ratio and body proportions reflected that.
Image Credit: Square Enix
2. Rise of the Tomb Raider
Date: 2015
The most recent Tomb Raider game, Rise of the Tomb Raider, furthered Lara's character development and transplanted her to the frigid climate of Siberia. Rise took the revitalized formula established by its predecessor and deepened it. Now, there were crafting options and hunting options. There were also more tombs to explore, which was appropriate to the franchise's namesake. Another sequel, reportedly called Shadow of the Tomb Raider, will be released later this year.
Image Credit: Square Enix
1. Tomb Raider (film)
Date: 2018
The new Tomb Raider (2018) film starring Oscar winner Alicia Vikander will release on March 16. It is clearly based off the latest "survivor" video game reboot. In the various trailers, we've seen Lara sporting both her signature bow and her climbing axe. And as she does in the Tomb Raider (2013) game, Vikander's Lara is also exploring a mysterious island off the coast of Japan. Early reviews are mixed. But hopefully, this film is the start of something greater.
Image Credit: Warner Bros.
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