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Thread: Tomb Raider 2018

  1. #1
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    Tomb Raider 2018

    APRIL 28, 2016 1:32pm PT by Borys Kit
    Alicia Vikander to Star as Lara Croft in 'Tomb Raider'


    Getty Images

    The reboot has Roar Uthaug ('The Wave') on board to direct.

    Lara Croft has been found.

    Alicia Vikander has signed on to star in Tomb Raider for MGM, Warner Bros. and GK Films, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.

    The movie project, which has Roar Uthaug (The Wave) on board to direct, will tell the story of a young and untested Croft fighting to survive her first adventure.

    MGM and Warner Bros. are co-producing the film, with MGM overseeing production. They acquired the rights from GK Films, who had previously purchased the film rights in 2011 from Square Enix Ltd.

    Graham King is serving as producer.

    Angelina Jolie famously starred in the two previous Tomb Raider movies, 2001's Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and 2003's Lara Croft: Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, which established her as a bankable, franchise-carrying international star.

    Vikander, who won an Oscar for her turn in The Danish Girl, is hoping for a similar path, and the Tomb Raider movie gives the actress her own franchise after proving her salt in acclaimed dramas.

    Last year was a turning point for Vikander, who starred in Ex Machina and also appeared in The Man From U.N.C.L.E. This year she will be seen in the drama The Light Between Oceans as well as the Matt Damon action pic Jason Bourne.
    Not to be crass, but does she have the 'guns' to be Lara?
    Gene Ching
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    An update

    Tomb Raider Reboot Script Is Finished, Shooting Begins Soon



    BRIAN GALLAGHER | 5 days ago

    Last month, we reported that MGM's action-packed Tomb Raider reboot has found its villain, with Walton Goggins coming aboard to star alongside Alicia Vikander as Lara Croft. Shortly after news of Walton Goggins' casting dropped, another report surfaced claimed that shooting was slated to begin at some point in January 2017. Yesterday, Walton Goggins jumped on social media to reveal that the script has been finished, and that production may already be under way now, just a few days into the new year.

    Walton Goggins' Instagram photo revealed the cover page of the screenplay, written by Geneva Robertson-Dworet, along with the caption, "2017...day 3... and imma bout to go Raid a motherf---ing Tomb." While Walton Goggins doesn't necessarily state that production is under way, we can also see a fedora hat resting on the edge of the script, which may be part of the actor's actual costume. Or, perhaps he just likes to wear fedora's while reading scripts. At this point, it's anybody's guess, but even if shooting hasn't begun, it will likely happen soon.

    Last week, Walton Goggins teased in a new interview that his reboot villain is "confused and angry and desperate," while adding there are "real reasons behind his antagonism" which are quite unexpected. Back in November, producer Graham King revealed that this story will follow a "young Lara Croft in search to see if her father is dead or alive." Director Roar Uthaug has also confirmed that the movie is based on the 2013 video game reboot, and in related news, it seems the video game franchise itself is undergoing some big changes.

    Crystal Dynamics revealed yesterday that Rhianna Pratchett, who served as the head writer on both the 2013 video game reboot and its 2015 follow-up Rise of Tomb Raider, is leaving the franchise. Rhianna Pratchett won a Writers Guild of America award earlier this year for Outstanding Achievement in Videogame Writing, for her work on Rise of Tomb Raider, and she also wrote a number of comic books that bridged the gap between both of her video games. Here's what the writer had to say about leaving the franchise, in a series of tweets.

    "So, I'm packing up my climbing axe plus a little venison jerky for the road, and bidding a fond farewell to Lara. Onwards to new adventures! I want to thank the Crystal Dynamics team for their dedication especially Josh Stafford, Cameron Suey, and Noah Hughes. Guys, it's been emotional. But, I like to think we did some good things. Maybe shifted the gaming landscape a wee bit. And that feels **** good. I also want to thank TR's terrific fan community. You really are the best in the world. Constantly helping me remember why I do this job."
    While Rhianna Pratchett's departure from the franchise certainly won't have any impact on the current Tomb Raider movie, it may impact the stories told in future films, but that's quite a long way's away. This current reboot still needs to be a hit for that to happen, and it may just be the one film to break the original Tomb Raider's 15-year-old box office record. The original Tomb Raider starring Angelina Jolie still holds the record for the highest-grossing video game adaptation at the domestic box office, with $131.1 million, although Warcraft became the top grossing video game adaptation worldwide last year with $433.5 million worldwide, despite tanking in North America. Hopefully we'll get more details on Tomb Raider soon, including confirmation about when production starts, but until then, take a look at Walton Goggins' Instagram photo.
    This film just became very interesting to me because a friend just signed on. It's not Goggins. I don't even know who Goggins is really. And I'm not really at liberty to tell as it was told to me in confidence (but there is a hint in the article above).
    Gene Ching
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    Daniel Wu cast on the Tomb Raider reboot

    This is why I ttt-ed the Tomb Raider reboot thread on Monday. Daniel Wu told me that he probably can't make our KUNG FU TAI CHI 25TH ANNIVERSARY FESTIVAL this year because he has committed to this project. (Get the hint? Warcraft)

    ‘Tomb Raider’ Reboot Adds ‘Into the Badlands’ Star Daniel Wu (EXCLUSIVE)
    Justin Kroll
    Film Reporter
    @krolljvar


    MEDIAPUNCH/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK
    JANUARY 11, 2017 | 11:34AM PT

    Daniel Wu is set to join the reboot of WB/MGM/GK Films’ “Tomb Raider,” the latest adaptation of the popular video game, starring Alicia Vikander as the iconic character Lara Croft.

    Warner Bros. recently announced the movie — from Norwegian director Roar Uthaug — will be released on March 16, 2018.

    Wu will play Lu Ren, a ship captain who partners with Croft on a quest to find her father.

    MGM joined the project in 2013, acquiring rights to the video game to develop the feature in partnership with Graham King’s GK Films. King, who obtained “Tomb Raider” in 2011 from Square Enix, will serve as producer.

    Cassidy Lange is overseeing production for MGM and Niija Kuykendall is handling production for Warner Bros.

    The original “Tomb Raider” video game was released in 1996 by London-based Eidos Interactive, which is now part of Square Enix. Square Enix released a reboot in 2013 with a younger, 21-year-old Croft being sent off on her first big adventure amid amped-up action and set pieces.

    Paramount’s two films starring Angelina Jolie as the British archaeologist were released in 2001 and 2003, and grossed a combined $431 million worldwide.

    Warner Bros. will co-produce the pic with MGM and GK Films.

    Wu is the star of the martial arts series “Into the Badlands,” which returns to AMC for its second season this spring. He is repped by CAA, Leverage Management, and attorney P.J. Shapiro.
    Gene Ching
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    First peek

    Exclusive: Here's Your First Look at the Tomb Raider Reboot
    BY SCOTT MESLOW
    6 hours ago


    GRAHAM BARTHOLOMEW

    Director Roar Uthaug shares a first-look image of Alicia Vikander as Lara Croft and grants an exclusive interview about his big-screen reboot.

    It’s been nearly 15 years since Lara Croft last graced the big screen—but the Tomb Raider heroine is about to make a big comeback. Taking over the role originated by fellow Oscar winner Angelina Jolie, Alicia Vikander will play Lara Croft in a Tomb Raider origin story drawing inspiration from Crystal Dynamics’ 2013 video game reboot of the franchise, and due to arrive in theaters in 2018. Here’s your exclusive first look at Vikander as Lara Croft:



    So what can we expect from this new Tomb Raider? Between night shoots in South Africa, director Roar Uthaug agreed to an exclusive early interview about his adaptation of the popular video game franchise.

    How far along are you in filming right now?

    We are just wrapping up the South African portion of our location shoot and will proceed next to London.

    Video game movies have a reputation for disappointing both critics and fans of the games. What will make your Tomb Raider different?

    We drew a lot of inspiration and reference from the game and the entire Tomb Raider canon to develop our world, and I believe fans will recognize that. At the same time, this is a completely different theatrical approach to Lara Croft that will offer something new in the origin and development of the character. It’s a story that not only highlights her incredible physical accomplishments but delves deeper into her humanity.

    Other than the Tomb Raider franchise, what are your influences for the new movie?

    I’m inspired by other modern action movies as well as classic survival movies. And I’m also trying to bring some of my European sensibilities when it comes to character development. Striving to combine all of this into a rollercoaster of a movie.

    Have you seen the two Tomb Raider movies starring Angelina Jolie? If so, what do you think of them?

    I’ve seen the films—they were a lot of fun and Angelina Jolie was a terrific Lara Croft. We are [making] a very different film, an origin story and I think fans will love Alicia in the role.

    Audiences who aren’t familiar with the 2013 Tomb Raider reboot game (and its 2015 sequel) have a very different mental image of Lara Croft. How will your movie reintroduce audiences to such a different take on the character?

    As an origin story, this movie will introduce Lara as a young woman who hasn’t yet found her way and her place in the world; a young woman with great spirit and potential. We follow her struggles and her journey toward becoming the person she was meant to be and earning the role of Tomb Raider.

    "Angelina Jolie was a terrific Lara Croft. We are [making] a very different film, an origin story."
    How closely will your movie echo the narrative of the 2013 Tomb Raider video game?

    That game was certainly part of what inspired our film. I think fans will be delighted to discover many touchstones from the game throughout the story. At the same time, this is not the kind of video game adaptation you often see, with a lot of CGI and effects. Our movie takes a more realistic, grounded approach. Lara Croft is a hero and a champion but she is not a superhero. She is very much human, and we see her deal with that humanity in many ways.

    Are you using any material from the 2015 game Rise of the Tomb Raider—the sequel to the 2013 video game reboot?

    Again, this was one of the things that provided inspiration. I think fans will be delighted to discover elements of it in the story.

    This is a story about Lara becoming the Tomb Raider, which means she’s totally inexperienced as the movie begins. How are you juggling her character growth with the need to deliver top-notch action scenes?

    This is exactly what the movie is about. Our goal is to show the complete journey that Lara Croft takes, and that means acknowledging both the emotional and the physical aspects of her evolution. We meet her as a young woman who is strong but questioning her place in the world, through the trials that help her hone her skills, and finally, to the formidable—yet still vulnerable—woman she becomes, as the Tomb Raider.

    In general, what’s your philosophy for directing a good action scene?

    Action always serves the story and the character development. Our goal with Tomb Raider is the kind of action that feels real and visceral and will resonate with audiences in a powerful way. We want to put the audience right in the middle of the action.

    How do the themes of exploration and survival play into the film’s narrative?

    Lara is an explorer by nature. The inspiration for her journey is her search for answers. But it’s a dangerous journey as well, and survival is an integral part of it, as Lara is pushed to her physical and emotional limits time and again.

    What, specifically, can you tell me about what Alicia Vikander brings to the role of Lara Croft?

    Alicia is a truly great actress, and she lights up the screen as Lara Croft. She brings great depth and humanity to this character, and great passion, while simultaneously delivering the intense physical action that the role demands. I’m very impressed by her dedication to the part and her tireless pursuit to get everything right.
    I never played the game so I'm not attached to the plot that way.
    Gene Ching
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    Random flashback

    I rewatched the Tomb Raider films last year, somewhat in anticipation of Time Raiders and a piece on such films that I've had gestating for a while now. Maybe I'll review them here, just for archival sake, as they are somewhat fresh in my mind.

    Angelina Jolie's Drug Tests, Harassment and Wacky "Spiritual Hokum" on the Set of 'Tomb Raider' (Exclusive Book Excerpt)
    6:00 AM PDT 3/29/2017 by Stephen Galloway

    A new biography of Sherry Lansing reveals that the 2001 film — which helped turn Jolie into a major star — was one of her biggest challenges, and an experience that left her feeling empty.

    Few of Paramount's films under Sherry Lansing proved as complicated as 2001's Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, which needed an actress sexual enough to resemble the computer creation while accessibly human. Only one person could pull it off: Angelina Jolie.

    It was early 2000, and the 24-year-old (soon to win an Oscar) was not yet a major star. She was plagued by damaging reports about her personal life, rumored to have dabbled in drugs and to have had an odd relationship with her brother, along with an even odder one with soon-to-be husband Billy Bob Thornton, whose blood she reportedly carried around her neck in a vial. "She definitely had some baggage and something of a dark reputation," said director Simon West. "Funnily enough, that was one of my selling points: This troubled and dangerous aspect in her reputation actually helped the character."

    Lansing was concerned, especially when Jon Voight (Jolie's father) and Jane Fonda (a family friend) called to warn her that the actress was extremely fragile. With Lansing's blessing, West flew to Mexico to meet Jolie on the set of the thriller Original Sin. "She said: 'Look, I want to do it, but I know what my reputation is, and I'll do anything you want to prove that I'm worthy. I'll be reliable, and I'll turn up, and I'll work hard,' " recalled West. "She said, 'I don't care if the studio wants to drug test me every day.' "


    Photofest
    Angelina Jolie in 'Tomb Raider'

    Lansing met with Jolie. "She was beyond beautiful," she said. "She was smart, she was strong." Negotiations commenced, and so did the drug tests. Said then-Para*mount president John Goldwyn, "We were sufficiently worried that we obliged her to undergo random drug tests — and not just urine tests but also blood tests."

    To everyone's relief, Jolie passed. Even so, the studio and producers were concerned enough to talk about keeping an eye on their star. "We would put a team around her for two purposes," said a member of the production crew. "One really was practical: to get her into great shape for the movie, not only in terms of appearance but to do what she had to do onscreen. Then there was this notion that we had to give her spiritual and psychological support."


    Getty Images
    At the Gone in 60 Seconds premiere in June 2000 with Thornton, Jolie’s husband of three years.

    That's when the real problems began. West suggested hiring Bobby Klein, a former photographer and therapist who he believed had the right kind of experience. "There were issues with the studio and producers being very nervous about Angelina," he said. "There was a discussion with the group: 'We're looking for someone to oversee or keep an eye on her because we're all making the film.' That guy Bobby Klein came up as somebody who had worked in that world of psychotherapy or drug management or whatever. He was brought in to supervise Angelina."

    Relationships that had been tense became strained to the breaking point, and producer Larry Gordon, who had battled the studio over money and the script, bristled at Klein's presence. "Simon West comes with this guy, Bobby Klein," said Gordon. "He's dressed all in black. He's a weird-looking guy with a white beard and white hair. He's very esoteric and gives me a thing that if you wear it, you can't get cancer, some bull**** thing. [They said,] 'He's going to be a big help, and he's going to do all these great things,' and so on and so forth."

    As preproduction got underway in England, Klein asked to be placed in charge of Jolie's physical preparation, even though a stunt coordinator was already working with her. After Klein insisted on employing a health expert who had been investigated by Scotland Yard, the production team balked. "[The expert] wanted her to have milk baths and started talking about yoga and meditation and wanted to be the point person in charge of Angelina's training," said Lloyd Levin, who produced the film with Gordon. "It was just this bull****. It seemed like spiritual hokum."

    When Klein was then accused of sexually harassing West's assistant, among other issues, he left the production. Gordon was ecstatic. "I said, 'Angelina doesn't want you around, and I never wanted you around, so your ass is gone. You can get your **** and go, or I can get security to throw you off the lot. You decide.' He said, 'I still get my expenses?' I said, 'Unfortunately, yes.' "


    Courtesy of Everett Collection
    Jolie as Lara Croft.

    With Klein out of the way, Jolie was a dream. "In the dailies, she was riveting," said Lansing. "She took what might have been a cardboard character and added a layer of mystery and emotion and humanity."

    Only at the end of the long, turbulent shoot did an accident occur, when the actress fell and hurt her foot. "It's to be expected," said Jolie. "After all the big stunts, I ended up hurting myself on a smaller stunt. A big jump over a statue, and I landed badly on my ankle. A partial tear, and I came back to work with a cane. Not very Croft."

    Tomb Raider made $275 million worldwide when it opened in June 2001, enough to warrant a sequel. Lansing had launched a new franchise at minimal cost to the studio and helped turn Jolie into a major star. And yet the experience left the studio chief feeling empty.

    She had been bothered for some time by her growing awareness that the quality of pictures no longer seemed essential, that clever sales strategies could redeem all but the most abysmal of movies. When she revealed her fears to Rob Friedman, her vice chairman and a marketing expert, he dismissed them. "Don't worry," he said. "You can spend all this money to improve the picture, but it won't make the tiniest difference to how much it brings in."


    Getty Images
    Lansing, Jolie and then-Viacom Entertainment chairman Jonathan Dolgen at the June 11, 2001, Tomb Raider premiere.

    Adapted from Leading Lady: Sherry Lansing and the Making of a Hollywood Groundbreaker ©2017 by Stephen Galloway. To be released by Crown Archetype, an imprint of Penguin Random House, on April 25. It's available for preorder now.

    This story first appeared in the March 29 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine.
    Gene Ching
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    Daniel Wu on INTO THE BADLANDS, IRON FIST & TOMB RAIDER

    INTERVIEW, MARTIAL ARTS, TELEVISION

    One-on-One with Into the Badlands’ Daniel Wu
    AMC’s Into the Badlands is in their second season and are going strong with their viewership, storyline, and martial arts. Unlike other series that attempts the martial arts genre, Into the Badlands’ stellar moves can be attributed to executive producer, and star of the series, Daniel Wu.

    The Nerds of Color got a chance to sit down and chat with the actor about the second season and what makes the show so appealing to audiences.



    LAURA: So, the series is getting a lot of comparisons with another controversial “martial arts” show that was released on the same weekend as season two of your show. Into the Badlands was deemed the cure to your Iron Fist blues and the show that Iron Fist should have been. With the controversy over the Asian American Iron Fist campaign and critics panning Iron Fist for the lack of martial arts, what are your thoughts regarding these issues?

    DANIEL: I think if you’re going to sell a show as a martial arts show and you don’t have martial arts in it or the martial arts sucks, then that’s obviously a problem. When we created this show, Badlands, our main point was to try to bring Hong Kong level martial arts action to American television. That was our goal. That was our main goal. Everything else was trying to make a good show — secondary to that main goal. Of course, we want to have a good show so you have to have a good story, good characters, and all that kind of stuff. But, that’s what we were selling and that’s what we’re going to do. That’s what we did sell in the first season. I think, you know, again with this Marvel property, I don’t know because I haven’t seen it yet. But again, if you’re going to be selling martial arts, you guys should know how to fight well. If they don’t fight well, then that’s a big problem.



    In terms of the whitewashing issue, I don’t know if it’s a whitewashing issue because their character was already white to begin with. And, then you talk about cultural appropriation, I think Asian Americans need to chill out a little bit, because that’s like saying “white people can’t rap,” right? That’s like saying “Asian people can’t play American football” or Jeremy Lin shouldn’t be playing basketball. It’s ridiculous to say that white people can’t do martial arts. That’s cultural appropriation. I don’t buy that. That’s not fair. I mean, Bruce Lee, the King of Martial Arts, was key to bringing martial arts to America, not just Asian America. He taught white people. He taught black people. He taught all kinds of people. That’s my philosophy. Martial arts is an equalizer. It doesn’t matter what culture you’re from. If you feel like you’re weak, you can become strong. Martial arts can give that to you. It’s not about your race at all, in any way.

    A lot of people had a lot of issues with Iron Fist because it was not whitewashing, but following the white savior trope — where the white guy saves Asian people or the white guys saves them using Asian methods.
    Is that’s what happening in the show? I don’t know if he’s saving Asian people in that show. In the comics, it was a white guy who went to Asia to learn martial arts and comes back and becomes a superhero.



    There are some awkward moments where he’s speaking Chinese to a girl. There are also moments where he’s better than people who have been training their entire life.
    Sure. If you made that character Asian, would all those issues still be a issue? If the character becomes Asian and he becomes better than his master, who has been training for thousands of years. It’s still an issue.

    At the same time, if an Asian guy used a language to talk to a girl or study their background, it’s much more acceptable.
    Yeah. I haven’t seen the show, so it’s really hard for me to really judge that. I want to be fair. At the same time, they are obviously paying for their mistakes now. I’ve seen the backlash, so I know people are ****ed off. I feel, probably what happened is, what you can blame there was an opportunity for Marvel to make it better and they didn’t do it. That’s all I could say there.



    Into the Badlands has proven that a series can break away from the Asian martial arts trope with its character development. The character is not defined by their skill and instead is allowed to grow. What elements do you feel that Into the Badlands was able to accomplish with that?
    I think what is interesting is that we don’t talk about race in the show at all, but it’s a very diverse show. There’s black, white, Latino, and other Asians, but we don’t talk about race. It’s about their abilities. It’s about what these people are doing. It’s about their stories. So, we don’t make it an issue about race. That’s what I like about it. I don’t know if I could do a show about Asian American issues. That’s kind of boring to me. Having grown up in America as an Asian American and then lived in Asia for twenty years, then come back. I’m not interested in Asian American whining. You know, “we’re not represented enough.” It’s like, go do it. That’s the kind of person I am. I don’t sit around and complain and wish I had better opportunities. I make the opportunities happen for me. I think that’s what we need to do as Asian Americans now. There are no boundaries, especially now with the digital era. If you want to make film and put it on YouTube, you can. Look at all these people who are YouTube stars right now. They’re Asian American. They’re doing it. They found a way to make it work for them. I give all those people a lot of credit for it.
    continued next post
    Gene Ching
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    continued from previous post



    I’m very proud that we’re diverse without having talked about “diversity.” Like, these characters, Sunny and Veil — that relationship — a black woman and an Asian man. You’ve never seen that on anything in the world ever actually before. I think it’s very cool that we’re just people in love. We’re not a black person or Asian person. We’re just people in love. We’re trying to have this baby. It’s very cool. I’m proud of that. We’re being diverse without raising a diversity flag, because that’s not what the show is about. Again, what we’re trying to do is make a good show and if it happens to be diverse. Those are great bonuses to jump along with, but that shouldn’t be the catalyst for the show. That shouldn’t be what makes the show run.

    Director and stunt woman extraordinaire Lexi Alexander has highly praised Into the Badlands as a whole. Many of the cast and creatives have also interacted with her on Twitter. Is there any chance of a collaboration with Into the Badlands or even outside of the series?
    Yeah, I think we’re open to all kinds of possibilities for our show, especially with television directors. We switch out directors every two episodes. So with a ten-episode season, that means there are five directors per season. So there’s a lot of opportunities to work with great people. So if they’re a good storyteller, then I’m definitely open to the fact to bring them in.

    Into the Badlands has been praised for its strong female characters. Aside from Veil, there were few WOCs on the show last season, but this year we have The Master and Baron Chau. Was it a conscious decision to include more WOC characters?

    I would say it was a conscious decision to add more characters of color, I think, to be more diverse. Yeah. So you see it this season in the first episode, you see a lot of the Butterflies in the background, there’s all kinds of girls there. That is a conscious decision to reflect upon what we think American society would be in the future and what it is now. I think most people, when you talk about the post-apocalyptic genre, it’s not really about the future, it’s reflecting on what’s happening right now. So, to reflect on now, you have to be true to that. So, we definitely made the decision to cast more diverse with all the roles, whether it’s female or male. You’ll see the other barons. There are a few other barons that are different races and different sexes. We’re trying to make a world that everyone can understand and relate to.



    In an article last year, you made a statement that you would have to wait a bit to see what impact Into the Badlands has made for people, whether it’d be in the Asian American community or the martial arts world. Since this is the second season, and it has been highly praised, what impact do you feel the series has made?

    I mean, I think we made a little blip on the pop culture meter for sure. I mean, in multiple levels. One, we have a martial arts show that is successful on television right now. There aren’t many martial arts shows, so that was one of our main points. Then secondly, to have the action lauded as it is. People love the action. People come back for the action. Then to have a great story that happens to be with a very diverse cast. That’s also a great thing that people are in to. There are characters that people can get into, whether you want to follow Sunny’s storyline or not. Some people just like the Widow. The #ColorMeBadlands Twitter people just love Sunny and Veil and that relationship. So that’s what I think is great about the show.

    It doesn’t just follow one person or one storyline. There are multiple storylines. As an audience, if you’re a teenager or a twelve-year-old, you might be really into MK and Tilda and their storyline. If you’re a full grown adult, you might be into the Sunny storyline. You might be into Quinn’s storyline. There are so many different things there for everyone to relate to. Then, [you’ll see] what these characters and storylines represent in the real world. What are they trying to say? And, that’s all in the subtext. I think we slide all that stuff in there for the audience trying to figure out what we’re talking about. You’ll see references. You’ve seen episode two with the wall. There are all these references that we’re talking about and we’re putting them in there as kind of Easter eggs, but also to get people thinking a bit more. This is a show about the future and about how the world got ****ed up and how it ended up this way. We’re putting in things about how that happened. You have to be careful as a human race, as Americans, and how we run this country in the future. It could end up like the Badlands and we don’t want that to happen.

    It’s almost time to wrap up, but what can you tell us more about your role in the new Tomb Raider film starring Alicia Vikander since you’ve entered production for the film?

    I can’t talk too much, but the character is named Lu Ren. Lara Croft comes to Hong Kong after she finds some clues about [her father]. It’s an origin story, so it goes back to the very beginning before she becomes Lara Croft: Tomb Raider that you know from the game. She’s looking for her dad. The story is that her dad has disappeared for seven years. She thinks he’s dead, but she finds some clues [showing] that he may still be alive. That leads her to Hong Kong and that’s where she finds me and enlists me to help her along this journey to go to this place where her father might be. So I’m there to help her along with her journey.



    Is there a potential love interest or friendship?

    It’s more of a partnership because there is something that I’m also looking for as well. I wouldn’t say it’s a love relationship. It’s more of a partnership.
    They're calling Into the Badlands 'the cure to the Iron Fist blues'. I don't think that's really fair because ITB is it's own thing, but given the Netflix Marvel precedents, I get it.
    Gene Ching
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    Here comes TIFF

    There's a vid if you follow the link.

    Alicia Vikander Talks Upcoming 'Tomb Raider' Role | TIFF 2017
    3:08 PM PDT 9/13/2017 by Kirsten Chuba

    The actress recently wrapped filming on the highly anticipated reboot, taking on a role made famous by Angelina Jolie. This version, which will be released in spring 2018, provides an origin story for the action hero Lara Croft.
    While at this year's Toronto International Film Festival to discuss her latest project Euphoria, Alicia Vikander also opened up to The Hollywood Reporter about her upcoming role in the Tomb Raider reboot.

    "I grew up playing the games and I was thrilled when I was 15 and I saw the films with Angelina Jolie," she told The Hollywood Reporter. "She really made her into an icon with those films."

    Following a change to the classic video game in 2013, Vikander's version of Lara Croft will focus more on the character's early life, which has not yet been explored onscreen.

    "It's very much an origin story and it's much more of kind of the next door girl taking on a journey of becoming the action hero that we've very much known her to be," she said. "So I definitely think there's a lot of elements there, both honoring the character people know of and a lot of new elements that they will hopefully be surprised and engaged to see."

    The Tomb Raider reboot is expected to hit theaters in March 2018.
    Gene Ching
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    Tomb Raider Trailer Teaser (2018) Alicia Vikander Tomb Raider Movie

    Gene Ching
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    TOMB RAIDER - Official Trailer #1



    Woah. Sunny & Bajie too!
    Gene Ching
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    Meanwhile in Sweden

    No image, but an embedded vid behind the link.

    Alicia Vikander Among Nearly 600 Swedish Actresses Calling Out Sex Abuse in Film, Theater

    10:54 AM PST 11/10/2017 by Scott Roxborough

    Inspired by the #MeToo movement that sprung up in response to the sexual assault and harassment allegations against disgraced film mogul Harvey Weinstein, the letter calls out the Swedish industry for failing to protect women from sexual abuse and for profiting from the work of known abusers.
    Oscar-winning actress Alicia Vikander has put her name to an open letter signed by nearly 600 Swedish actresses calling out sexual abuse in the Swedish film and theater industry.

    Inspired by the #MeToo movement that sprung up in response to the sexual assault and harassment allegations against disgraced film mogul Harvey Weinstein, the letter calls out the Swedish industry for failing to protect women from sexual abuse and for profiting from the work of known abusers.

    “Directors, you have failed. Producers, you have failed. Production companies, you have failed. Theatre managers, you have failed. Politicians, you have failed,” it reads. “It is your responsibility to ensure that nobody is sexually abused at the workplace.”

    Asserting “zero tolerance against sexual exploitation and violence” the signatories demand that employers, from film companies and theaters to book publishers and Swedish television networks, “stop protecting, hiring and making money on perpetrators” of sexual violence.

    The letter was published in Swedish daily newspaper Svenska Dagbladet along with numerous anonymous first person accounts of specific incidences of abuse.

    "In one film I acted alongside one of the most prominent film actors, both in Sweden and abroad,” reads one testimony. “At a party he followed me into a hotel room, pushed me hard onto the floor, threw himself over me, held me tight and laughed with a dark look in his eyes. The thought 'he is going to rape me' ran through my head, but somehow I managed to get him off of me and ran.”

    “At one of my first jobs, in the theatre elevator, I was pushed up against the wall by an actor in the same production and told to come to his dressing room at three o'clock, otherwise I would not continue working at the theatre,” reads another.

    A third: "I was 23 years old and laid on a mattress to rest between rehearsals. One of the conductors came in, asking if he could rub my back. I immediately felt that I didn’t want to, but I couldn’t say no. He sat on top of me and started to massage my back. He then took out his ***** and began to masturbate. When he was about to climax he lifted up my shirt and ejaculated on my back. Then he got up and left. Before the show started that night, he took my arm and said that it was nice and it was our secret."

    Alongside Vikander, the signatories to the open letter include such well known Swedish actresses as Sofia Helin, star of the original Swedish version of TV series The Bridge, and veteran actress Marie Goranzon (I Am Curious, Yellow).

    The letter ends with a warning to abusers or those who seek to protect them.

    “We will no longer be silent,” it reads. “We will bring those responsible to account and let the justice system run its course when needed. We will put the shame where it belongs — with the perpetrator and those who protect him. We know who you are.”

    The group has started its own hashtag for supporters of their efforts, #tystnadtagning (#silenceaction in Swedish).
    It's not just Hollywood's Open Secret according to Alicia Vikander of Tomb Raider.
    Gene Ching
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    Tomb Raider - Official Trailer #2 - Warner Bros. UK

    Gene Ching
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    Our newest exclusive web article

    Gene Ching
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    Panther beats Raider

    A decent opening for Tomb Raider, but unable to dethrone Black Panther.

    ‘Tomb Raider’ Tops $100M Offshore, Digs Up $41M In China – International Box Office
    by Nancy Tartaglione
    March 18, 2018 2:57pm


    Warner Bros

    UPDATE, writethru: In its 2nd weekend of overseas play, Warner Bros/MGM’s Tomb Raider unearthed $84.5M across 65 markets. That includes China where the No. 1 debut came in at a solid $41.1M, ranking as Warner Bros’ 7th biggest opener ever and landing on par with Wonder Woman and Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle. The full cume at the international box office is now $102.5M for $126M worldwide.

    Rival distribution sources like the offshore debuts on the reportedly $90M-budgeted movie — although it does not have a lot of theatrical runway ahead with Pacific Rim: Uprising and Ready Player One coming down the pike. Japan, which opens this week, will be one to watch.

    This weekend’s figures give the Lara Croft origins story a leg up as the No. 1 movie internationally. It’s also the No. 1 title across Europe and Latin America, comping above Red Sparrow, Divergent, Salt and Ghost In The Shell. The Alicia Vikander-starrer sprang into action in nine Asian markets last weekend, looking to get out early ahead of Pac Rim 2 . The results there were good, although Korea continues to be a disappointment.

    Meanwhile, last week’s champ, Black Panther, has reached $1,182.5M worldwide to edge Captain America: Civil War and Minions. The Disney/Marvel phenom is now the No. 14 movie ever at the global box office. Internationally, T’Challa boasts the No. 5 MCU release of all time — he has also outgrossed all non-MCU superhero titles except The Dark Knight Rises.

    The Wakanda crew added $30M in 57 markets to lift the international box office total to $577.1M. The drop in China was steep with the movie now at $96M as it struggles towards $100M. Holds were strong elsewhere including South Africa where it’s the No. 1 film of all time. In Europe, BP is the 4th highest grossing MCU title ever.

    In other news, Sony’s Peter Rabbit had a hopping good start in the UK with $9.5M after cast engaged in a local press push and family gala premiere. That sets it up nicely for Easter; it also crossed $100M domestic this weekend.

    Another animated title, Pixar’s Coco finally landed in Japan where it opened to $5.8M including previews. The picture should settle into a long and successful run in this slow-burn market. The offshore total is now $549M, topping Finding Dory and The Lion King to make it the No. 4 grossing new IP animated release of all time. The global total is $757.7M.

    Disney’s A Wrinkle In Time, however, is having a rough go of it overseas with a cume after two frames of just $10.6M.

    And, Best Picture Oscar winner The Shape Of Water has topped $100M overseas, grossing $110.8M through Sunday. That was aided by a $10.35M start in China.

    The coming frame sees Universal/Legendary’s Pacific Rim: Uprising start offshore rollout on Wednesday in France and Korea, notably. It adds majors, save Japan, throughout the weekend including China on Friday. IMAX will have it on more than 1,200 screens globally.

    Breakdowns on the films above and more have been updated below.
    Continued next post
    Gene Ching
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    Continued from previous post

    NEW
    MARY MAGDALENE

    Focus’ biblical drama spread the word in eight markets in its debut, bowing to $2.2M. The majors in the first suite include Italy, the UK, Germany, Brazil and Spain. Italy was the top opener with $667K at 350 locations, above Lion which shares a director in Garth Davis. Brazil also opened above Lion with $375K at 369. The UK came in at No. 10 at 425 with $341K.
    Universal has 35 more markets to release including 22 next weekend. The film stars Rooney Mara in the titular role alongside Joaquin Phoenix as Jesus in the portrait of his devout yet misunderstood follower. Mary, constricted by the hierarchies of the day, defies her traditional family to join a new social movement led by the charismatic Jesus of Nazareth. She soon finds a place for herself within the movement and at the heart of a journey that will lead to the capital city of Jerusalem.

    Pic is written by Helen Edmundson and Philippa Goslett, and also stars Chiwetel Ejiofor and Tahar Rahim. See-Saw Films’ Iain Canning and Emile Sherman are producers alongside Liz Watts.

    SHERLOCK GNOMES

    Paramount Pictures
    Opening a week early overseas, Paramount/MGM/Rocket Pictures’ sequel to 2011’s Gnomeo & Juliet bowed in its first five international markets with $2.1M. Russia was the top start on the John Stevenson-helmed animated picture with $1.4M at 1,000 locations. That’s 13% bigger than the original.
    Emily Blunt, James McAvoy and Johnny Depp voice the lead garden gnomes who recruit renowned detective Sherlock Gnomes to investigate the mysterious disappearance of other garden ornaments. Mexico is the next major market to release as rollout continues through May.

    HOLDOVERS/EXPANSIONS
    TOMB RAIDER


    Tomb Raider
    Warner Bros
    After accessing nine Asian markets last weekend to start the ball rolling internationally, Warner Bros/MGM’s Tomb Raider dug into $84.5M in a total 65 hubs this session. That lifts the overseas cume to $102.5M for a worldwide take of $126M.
    In IMAX, Tomb Raider grossed $8.3M globally on 1,209 screens including $5.7M on 809 offshore. The international IMAX cume is $7.1M.

    Coming 15 years after Angelina Jolie last donned a holster to play heroine Lara Croft, the Roar Uthaug-helmed Tomb Raider origins story is off to a decent start overseas. The $90M-budgeted pic will need to flex offshore muscle. Rival distribution execs expects it to reach break-even — but it does not have a lot of runway ahead with Pacific Rim: Uprising and Ready Player One coming down the pike.

    The China start, despite a 6.5 Douban rating, is solid at $41.1M, on par with Wonder Woman. It looks set on a path to a figure in the $60M+ range given the other activity in the increasingly fast-burn market (whereas WW got to $90M). This was not expected to do Resident Evil style business in the Middle Kingdom; the game is more familiar to an older demographic and the picture was sold on Alicia Vikander’s strong female lead action hero. Although it also features local star Daniel Wu, there was no China tour. A key gamer market to watch will be Japan which was big on the previous movies.

    Let’s look more closely at this weekend. The Lara Croft origins tale is the No. 1 movie internationally and across Europe and Latin America, comping above Red Sparrow, Divergent, Salt and Ghost In The Shell. The major disappointment is Korea where they are just not feeling it — the film dropped to No. 6 this weekend and has cumed just $4M to date.

    The top opener this session was Russia at $4.4M, 11% ahead of Wonder Woman, 30% ahead of The Hunger Games and more than double Divergent. The UK follows with $4.2M on 1,089 screens for No. 2 and on par with Lucy, but above Ghost In The Shell (+30%), Red Sparrow (+63%) and Divergent (+70%).

    France ($3.2M), Germany ($2.15M) and Mexico ($2.15M) round out the Top 5. In Asia, where the overall drop was about 50%, the top markets outside China are Indonesia ($4.4M), Korea ($4M), Taiwan ($3.6M), Malaysia ($2.9M) and Hong Kong ($2.3). Japan comes online Wednesday.

    BLACK PANTHER


    Black Panther
    Disney
    In its 5th weekend, Disney/Marvel’s Black Panther added $30M in 57 markets. The international cume is now $577.1M for $1,182.5M worldwide. Overseas, it has now become the No. 5 MCU release of all time, and has also grossed more than all non-MCU superhero titles except The Dark Knight Rises. BP is likely to taper off around the $600M range offshore, having passed the milestone domestically this weekend.
    China is still the top market at $96M through Sunday, as it inches towards $100M which is the low end of the range coming out of last week’s first frame. That will land it lower than Thor: Ragnarok and Doctor Strange in the market, and around Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol 2, while above Wonder Woman.

    As a region, Europe was down 45% with the film now the No. 4 MCU release ever, crossing $200M this weekend. In South Africa, the Ryan Coogler-directed movie held No. 1 for the 5th straight session and is the highest-grossing film of all time. In Asia Pacific, Singapore had a great -14% hold while Latin America was down 47% as a whole.

    Rounding out the Top 5 after China are the UK ($59.5M), Korea ($42.7M), Brazil ($32.7M) and Australia ($28.1M).

    THE SHAPE OF WATER

    Fox Searchlight
    The Best Picture Oscar winner crossed $100M internationally this session, rising the tide to $110.8M in 63 markets for Fox. The $17M weekend was boosted by a fantastic China opening at $10.3M, topping all comps. The awards halo also helped in Germany where Guillermo del Toro’s fairy tale was down just 28% for a $4M cume and in his home country Mexico where the drop was 30% for a $14.7M total. The next releases are in Malaysia and Indonesia this week and next. For a closer look at the China performance, see my separate story here.
    PETER RABBIT
    Peter Rabbit
    Sony Animation
    Sony’s animated adventure from Will Gluck started wider international rollout this weekend, hopping to a fantastic $9.5M in the UK. The updated take on Beatrix Potter’s classic was bigger than the original Paddington by 32%. In Mexico, it doubled that film with $1.4M. The total session was worth $15.5M on 8,600 screens in 22 markets. That lifts the overseas cume to $42.7M with the movie on track to play well through the Easter holiday. It has a similar dating strategy to last year’s Boss Baby, opening ahead of the holidays and building word of mouth.
    The UK did over 50% market share, which is great for a family film outside holidays and with Tomb Raider entering the market — and despite heavy snowfalls with play throughout the day including evening shows.

    The UK number for a non-holiday 3-day weekend also topped Zootopia and Secret Life Of Pets. For the release, James Corden, Daisy Ridley, Domhnall Gleeson, Elizabeth Debicki and Gluck did local press last weekend and attended a family gala premiere. Corden appeared on ITV’s Ant And Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway. He and Ridley also did Chris Evans’ BBC Radio 2 show while Ridley and Debicki were on This Morning, also on ITV.

    Next weekend adds Australia, Brazil, Germany, Italy, Russia and Spain.

    RED SPARROW
    Fox’s spy pic uncovered $8.9M in 72 markets this weekend for a $66.6M total so far. Drops in Germany (-25%) and Holland (-31%) were solid. The lead plays are the UK — currently in the midst of a very serious real-life issue with Russia ($7.3M), Germany ($7M), Australia ($6.1M), Spain ($5.5M) and Taiwan ($4.9M). The international cume is 4% bigger than The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo in the same group of markets and at current exchange rates. The Jennifer Lawrence-starrer opens in five more markets this week, including Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE.

    COCO

    Disney
    Little Miguel and his otherworldly family finally hit their final market of Japan this weekend. They came in as the top Western release, posting $4.6M ($5.8M including previews). That’s 43% ahead of Wreck-It Ralph ($30M final), 20% above Inside Out ($32.5M final) and 8% bigger than Zootopia ($70M final, all at historical rates). Japan is a slow-burn market where movies play and play, and the sentiment is that this is set up for a nice run.
    The full international weekend for Disney/Pixar was $6.5M in 27 markets with an overseas cume of $548.5M and a global take of $757.7M.

    THE GREATEST SHOWMAN

    Twentieth Century Fox
    Closing in on $400M worldwide, Fox’s Hugh Jackman singalong earned $3.8M in 25 markets this session. The offshore total is now $229.1M for $397.7M global. Japan is swinging with a great dip of just 22% for a $29.7M cume to date. The UK is now at $53.2M and Australia has cumed $25.3M.
    GAME NIGHT
    Warner Bros/New Line’s comedy added $3.7M on 2,842 screens in 51 markets to bring the cume to $30.5M. The UK is leading play with $5M, followed by Australia at $4.8M, Germany at $2.6M off a slight drop, Russia with $2.5M and Holland at $2M. Staggered overseas releases continue in April with Mexico, France and Spain.

    ...

    MISC UPDATED CUMES/NOTABLES
    Fifty Shades Freed
    Universal Pictures
    Fifty Shades Freed (UNI): $2.4M intl weekend (53 markets); $265.4M intl cume
    I’m Losing Weight (UNI): $2M intl weekend (Russia only); $8.9M Russia cume
    Lady Bird (UNI): $1.8M intl weekend (40 markets); $19.2M intl cume
    The Post (UNI only): $1.4M intl weekend (21 markets); $30.6M intl cume
    Den Of Thieves (STX): $1.3M intl weekend (57 markets); $28.6M intl cume
    Phantom Thread (UNI): $1M intl weekend (46 markets); $22.6M intl cume
    Maze Runner: The Death Cure (FOX): $753K intl weekend (29 markets); $226.3M intl cume
    Gringo (STX): $535K intl weekend (17 markets); $1.6M intl cume
    China was key, as predicted.
    Gene Ching
    Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
    Author of Shaolin Trips
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