Really? They're gonna reboot Tomb Raider? I think this thing is getting a little out of control.

Jobo | May 22, 20:34 CET

Summer was excited about a movie project, but I don't believe it should be a new adventure one.

Brasilian Chaos Man | May 22, 20:43 CET

There ARE more than the cockney and posh variations of the english accent.

Progressive_Stupidity | May 22, 20:55 CET

I would have thought she was slightly too... small... for the role; which, while a ludicrous yardstick, remains the one most of the male audience will use. Other than that, I'd think it's a role she was born/typecast to play.

ManEnoughToAdmitIt | May 22, 21:05 CET

PS, I know, but she's done cockney and Lara Croft is supposed to be posh. I've just had a vision of Summer talking in a Yorkshire accent. Very unnerving....

As for "smallness" I think the suggestion is a Origin story, so Lara would be maybe sixteen or seventeen. So maybe that would be more appropriate?

Have there ever been any good video game based movies? The Jolie Tomb Raiders weren't bad, but then there's Street Fighter Ledgend of Chun Li....

zz9 | May 22, 21:11 CET

Based upon specific reasons that I can't elaborate on right now (will do as soon as I get a chance), I think it is extremely likely that this is indeed Summer Glau's mystery project. I also think people (I'm including myself here) shouldn't be too quick to belittle serious artistic merits this project could possess if executed well.

[ edited by brinderwalt on 2009-05-22 21:16 ]

brinderwalt | May 22, 21:14 CET

I thought the Summer movie was a Viking thing?

SteppeMerc | May 22, 21:18 CET

I'd watch it. Maybe even twice.

Nolan | May 22, 21:18 CET

Have there ever been any good video game based movies?

The first Tomb Raider and first Resident Evil. In my opinion.

Sunfire | May 22, 21:20 CET

A viking thing? Maybe there's a Sugarshock movie. ;) </lies>

The One True b!X | May 22, 21:22 CET

I think the Last Battle Dreamer is too far into production (casting already completed) to be much of a possibility.

brinderwalt | May 22, 21:29 CET

I can't see Summer in this role, but then again I had trouble seeing her as a Terminator. So, who knows. However I think it is way to early to talk about casting for this movie.

Zoic_Fan | May 22, 21:33 CET

I don't think this is a franchise that needs rebooted - I really enjoyed the first film as a fun action movie. I also loved Angelina in the role, though I can understand why others didn't.

Having said that, I think Summer could be quite good in this. And weren't Angelina's assets padded and even digitally 'upgraded'? They could follow that again or go with a more natural Lara - even the in-game Lara is somewhat more realistically proportioned nowadays.

Ildeth | May 22, 22:17 CET

I've never played any of the Lara Croft games mainly because I suck at jumping. Seriously. I gave up on Shadow of the Colossus because I couldn't jump into a floating island.

Simon | May 22, 22:21 CET

Ildeth, Summer cannot be upgraded, she's perfect the way she is. Any sort of 'upgrade' would be a travesty.

I love Summer, but I hope that she can get something I'm more interested in than this. I like games, and I like archeology but the serious never appealed to me (saw the first movie, wasn't really impressed). Still the fact she's even in rumors about this would presumably speak well for her career.

[ edited by SteppeMerc on 2009-05-22 22:23 ]

SteppeMerc | May 22, 22:22 CET

If it ain't Guitar Hero, I ain't playin'!

That said, would be more than willing to watch a Tomb Raider movie starring Summer. She managed to make Terminator watchable for me so I'll give her the benefit of the doubt in whatever she does next.

Darkest Soul | May 22, 22:24 CET

I was very good at jumping when I played video games. Jumped everywhere, just couldn't do it in the game.

[ edited by Brasilian Chaos Man on 2009-05-22 22:37 ]

Brasilian Chaos Man | May 22, 22:35 CET

Hmmm. Christopher Nolan's doing Inception, a sci fi action picture that has Ellen Page in it, and is slated to film this summer. That'd be my ideal picture for Summer. She could be Ellen's sister or something.

shambleau | May 22, 22:57 CET

Please, no more Lara Croft. Her character is evil and it seems like she is unaware what a black hat she has become. It always feels like we are all suppose to cheer for her because she really wants artifact X more than the other person who has just as much claim to it as she does.

silent knight | May 22, 23:38 CET

Yeah, as a historian I really don't like the notion of any sort of 'Tomb Raider'. Its really late 19th early 20th century thinking, and her actions would have her expelled from the countries she's visiting at the very least, and very possibly imprisoned. Not that having a realistic archeology game would be fun, but at least have the decency to set it in the past, like Indiana Jones...

SteppeMerc | May 22, 23:50 CET

Let's also not forget that they put Angelina Jolie into a stu... figure enhancing prosthetic for the movie. I see Summer as far too talented of an actress to be subjected to that sort of objectification. Besides, her dancer's body is quite a bit more nicely proportioned than a top-heavy cartoon, anyways.

jclemens | May 23, 00:08 CET

"Please, no more Lara Croft. Her character is evil and it seems like she is unaware what a black hat she has become. It always feels like we are all suppose to cheer for her because she really wants artifact X more than the other person who has just as much claim to it as she does."

Yup! Because it never happens that morally questionable characters often become extremely popular to the point of fandom worship. Spike, Sawyer, Dexter Morgan, Mal Reynolds, Baltar... nothing remotely wrong about anything they've done. ;)

I don't think we are supposed to cheer because we think Lara Croft is right or necessarily the 'hero' of the story. We cheer because she is the side we have chosen, right or wrong, and we want her to win. Simple as that.

Darkest Soul | May 23, 14:56 CET

Pagan, those characters are highly interesting, multi faceted characters. Plus they are badass, and their job isn't to go around stealing precious artifacts (because apparently its better to kill people in my mind than steal artifacts... I'm crazy, I know). We have Indiana Jones for that, and even he is of the belief that "It belongs in a museum".

SteppeMerc | May 23, 18:40 CET

I think Summer's interpretation of the Lara Croft character would possess these same positive qualities in spades because of the way she treats her characters; that's what makes her a great actor. If she does end up taking this role I think you should forget whatever lingering impressions you may have from past portrayals. Summer Glau's Lara Croft would be totally different (and a huge improvement over) portrayals seen previously.

brinderwalt | May 23, 20:12 CET

SteppenMerc: that's why I used (air quotes) 'upgraded' - I don't believe that breast enlargement on anyone is really an upgrade.

And I can't believe I didn't check the thread for a day and missed out on archaeological discussion! I'm an archaeologist, most of my friends are archaeologists, and about 80% of my thinking/speaking/typing time is devoted to archaeology (I have to leave some room for Joss, after all). I don't mind Tomb Raider - it's all in the job description. I think it's less misleading than calling Indiana Jones an archaeologist - he may have inspired a generation of us, but he's hardly a role model. It's less misleading than The Da Vinci code, the crystal skull shenanigans, the von Daniken nuttiness, cod 'ancient culture' mysticism, etc. Basically, archaeologists have so much crap to put up with (don't even start on the Celts, you'll give me vapours!) that someone dressing in tiny shorts and calling themselves a Tomb Raider is usually the least ridiculous thing we have to worry about. Tomb Raider isn't really about archaeology, and I think most people realise that.

Ildeth | May 23, 23:42 CET

Well yeah, that's true. I'm studying to be a historian, so I know less about archeology than you obviously, not to mention still having one more year of undergrad school and then getting into a grad school that offers some chance for me to study the Mongols... for whatever reason they are rare in America. ;) So I'll gladly deffer to you on the topic.

And I agree, there are far worse things than Lara Croft sullying history and archeology. I agree with you on the ignorance regarding history (I get quite annoyed if anyone pronounces Celt 'Selt', much less tries to babble on about those darn new religion hokey stuff. I devote most of my anger towards people's ignorance regarding Iranian and Turco-Mongolian nomads history though). One of the biggest problems I had early on while watching Buffy was the whole 'Wicca' thing... any thing that gives any semblance to legitimacy to the numerous bastardizations of historical or still existing (I'm sure numerous New Agers have tried to hijack Siberian animism or the numerous American Indian belief systems) beliefs in New Age 'religion' angers me. Then I came to realize Wicca just meant person who used magic in Buffy, and I stopped caring.

And despite Indy's, um, less than legal methods, I always considered Indy to have more in common with the old school archeologists, Evans, and Schliemann and the like, despite obviously dating after them. At least Indy actually has a doctorate, despite his not knowing that crystal skulls are all hogwash. Plus, you know, being a fictional action adventure hero who fights Nazis for magical items.

Although now that you mention the tiny shorts of Tomb Raider, I'm imagining Summer in them, and lets say I'm warming up to the idea. ;)

[ edited by SteppeMerc on 2009-05-24 00:21 ]

SteppeMerc | May 24, 00:20 CET

"...and their job isn't to go around stealing precious artifacts (because apparently its better to kill people in my mind than steal artifacts... I'm crazy, I know)."

Hey, I'm okay with what Dexter does but I hate the idea of people getting illegal music downloads because it's like stealing straight out of the artist or band's pockets, in my mind. We all have our own warped ideas of right and wrong. ;)

Regarding the rest of your post, depth of the various characters aside I'd still say that my point is that any character can be seen as the hero if you happen to side with their viewpoint, however warped or evil somebody else may see that to be.

The viewpoint of Summer in the tiny Tomb Raider shorts, however? Surely shared by all.

Darkest Soul | May 24, 01:06 CET

All I have to add to this intellectual, archaeological discussion is this: FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY, HOLLYWOOD, GET SOME NEW IDEAS!!! [/rant]

fictionfiend | May 24, 05:38 CET