Dominic West is set to join the cast of the upcoming film adaptation of the “Tomb Raider” video game series, TheWrap has learned. He will play Sir Richard Croft, the father of the series’ heroine Lara Croft, played by Alicia Vikander.
In the video games, Lara Croft is inspired to become an archeologist by her late father’s research, which she uses as a guide to find treasure that could have supernatural powers. But according to the film’s producer, Graham King, the new film will show Lara going on her first quest to discover if her father is truly dead, or whether he simply disappeared after making the discovery of a lifetime.
The film will take a different path from previous “Tomb Raider” films, which starred Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft and Jon Voight as her father. Vikander’s portrayal of Croft will be in the spirit of the video game series’ 2013 reboot, which also focused on Lara Croft’s origins and her first adventure as an archeologist.
“Tomb Raider” marks the reunion of West and Vikander, who played father-daughter roles in the 2014 film “Testament of Youth.” Walton Goggins will play the film’s villain, Father Matthias, and Daniel Wu will play Lu Ren, the ship captain who helps Lara in her search for her father. MGM and Warner Bros. are co-producing the film, with MGM overseeing production. It is currently scheduled for a March 2018 release.
West is represented by WME and Tavistock Wood Management.