Alicia Vikander has fulfilled a childhood dream by landing the role of Lara Croft in the ‘Tomb Raider’ reboot.
The 28-year-old actress beat off stiff competition to land the role as the daredevil archaeologist in a new movie adaptation of the popular video game series.
Alicia grew up being fascinated by "big adventure films" like the ‘Indiana Jones’ franchise starring Harrison Ford and she’s delighted to now to get bring that type of story to the big screen.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, ‘The Danish Girl’ star said: "I’m emotionally drawn to something that’s very different from what I’ve done before. Naturally, that gives me an extra thrill. I have mostly done dramas and indie films in my career but I don’t know how many times I’ve watched big adventure films like ‘Indiana Jones’ or ‘The Mummy’. I love to get embraced in all those big journeys and to do an action role has always been a child’s dream of mine."
In taking on the role of Lara – created by British gaming company Core Design in 1996 – Alicia will replace Angelina Jolie, who was widely credited for making the movie adaptation of the video game franchise a huge success when she brought the British explorer to life in 2001 and then again in ‘Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life’ in 2003.
Alicia also said that there needs to be more of a push for female action heroes in movies after seeing the recent DC Extended Universe hit ‘Wonder Woman’.
She said: "I went to the cinema and saw ‘Wonder Woman’ the other day. It’s a mixture of joy and sadness pouring over me, as I was thinking, ‘Oh my God, I haven’t seen women onscreen like that.’
"And I wondered how many stories there have been throughout the years that haven’t been told. If ‘Wonder Woman’ made such an impact, which it deserves to, then we need to use ten times as much force to make some change. Because it needs to happen."
Alicia Vikander: Playing Lara Croft is a childhood dream come true
