TOMB RAIDER SEQUEL GETS FILMING DATE
Copyright 2002 www.tombraiderchronicles.com

[ June 11th 2002 ]

Paramount Pictures Tomb Raider sequel will begin filming on August 26th at Pinewood Studios, London, and on location in China and Africa with Speed director Jan de Bont helming the Lara Croft franchise vehicle, according to Film Jerk. Former Oscar winner Angelina Jolie will return as buxom British gunslinger Lara Croft sent to rescue the world from the exploits of an evil Chinese crime syndicate led by oriental crime lord Chen Lo.

Angelina Jolie, who recently concluded the adoption of a Cambodian baby with singer Billy Bob Thornton, only agreed to return on the provision that the screen-play faired better than the original and that day-care facilities would be in place to avoid a two-month separation from baby Maddox. Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (working title) retains the acting services of Chris Barrie as Lara's fussing companion Hillary. John Voight, Jolie's real-life and on-screen father, has also expressed an interest in resurrecting his role from the grave.

Online movie rumour mill Dark Horizons also reports that Turkish newspaper Milliyet anounced today that due to "bureaucratic slowness" of the Turkish Culture Department, the production has opted not to shoot in the famous Middle Eastern country. Several requests were made to the department for permits to dive and shoot in the historically protected Kekova-Ucagiz and Simena regions but the sequences will now take place in Greece.

The original Simon West-helmed video-game adaptation garnered more than $230 million in revenue worldwide, coining $48 million during its domestic opening weekend and remains the highest ever box-office earner for a female-driven movie. That married with 30 million unit sales of a video-game featuring the most successful female character in the history of the industry produces the perfect ingredients for a second indelible mark on the silver screen and the Paramount bankroll.