There is a rumored shortlist for directors for the Tomb Raider reboot that is in pre-production at MGM and GK films. This past February, Evan Daugherty was hired to write the film’s script, a screenwriter who is best known for his work on 2014’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
The shortlist of directors are Kathryn Bigelow, Catherine Hardwicke, and Mimi Leder. Bigelow is perhaps best known for The Hurt Locker, which netted Bigelow Academy Awards in both the Best Picture and Best Director categories. She seems to be since focusing on grounded, military dramas. Catherine Hardwicke is the director of the first Twilight film, which earned $392 million at the box office in 2008. Finally, Mimi Leder is a director who mostly works in television, and has won Emmy awards for her directorial duties on ER, as well as receiving critical acclaim for her work on The Leftovers.
Kahthryn Bigelow is a slam dunk if they can get it, but it seems like an odd property for her. With the inclusion of Leder, Hardwicke, and Daugherty, it seems like the producers are trying to inject the film with a more supernatural vibe haunting the rest of the film. However, Lara Croft is a very realistic and gritty character that would be right up Bigelow’s avenue.
Leder is the pick I am most excited about, as The Leftovers and ER are some of the best and most inventive shows in television history, particularly ER. This could be a big break and return to mainstream film if Leder nails Tomb Raider. However, like Bigelow, I think the supernatural element is going to be prevalent and will scare Leder away, as it just doesn’t seem like a project that aligns with Leder’s previously established talents.
I think their front runner is Hardwicke, as she has a lot of relevant experience in producing films such as Tomb Raider. She is someone who can work in a studio system, as executives are going to try to capitalize on Tomb Raider’s marketability. The executives will want to make sure this film is as profitable as possible, and this may mean making it a more conventional, big budget affair.
Personally, I hope Leder wins out and gets the creative breathing room that is necessary for a video game movie adaptation. Leder could attach a level of realism to the film that has not been seen before in film adaptations of popular video games, such as Hitman: Agent 47 and Mortal Kombat. It would be nice to see this grit and realism delivered in a Tomb Raider film reboot, as it should help sustain the series, while differentiating itself from the likes of Uncharted and Indiana Jones. While the same argument could be the same for Bigelow, I do think that Bigelow’s current projects are much more interesting and exciting than a Tomb Raider film reboot.
Who do you want to direct the Tomb Raider reboot? Let us know in the comments below!
