EMPIRE UK ON TOMB
RAIDER
Copyright 2001 www.tombraiderchronicles.com Source:
IGN
[ January 7th 2001 ]
IGN reports
the upcoming February issue of UK Empire sports
some previously unpublished photographs of Angelina
Jolie as Paramount Pictures Lara Croft, and features
an interview with the Oscar winning actress as
well as comments from director Simon West.
Sitting
on the steps of the vast tomb that has been erected
on Pinewood's 007 soundstage, Jolie in costume,
Empire is delighted to report looks she every
inch the action hero. 'It's all about getting
in shape,' she says of her six-month training
programme. 'And now I'm stronger physically,'
she winks, 'which has been fun... if you know
what I mean.' The subject of adolescent musings
when just a computer graphic ('I've never understood
male fantasy,' admits Jolie), the casting of Lara
Croft was paramount. And although the likes of
Nell McAndrew and Rhona Mitra had previously provided
cartoon proportions for publicity purposes, Angelina
Jolie was a resounding first choice. 'She had
to be someone that every man wants to have and,
I think, every woman is going to want to be,'
says director Simon West (Con Air, 1997) who considers
the project very much of the chance-of-a-lifetime
variety. 'It had been around Hollywood for two
years and I realised it was a great chance to
create a character. And a franchise.'
"With
Jolie's confirmation that 'quite a few of us are
signed up for two more,' said franchise bodes
well. 'Lara's like James Bond and a dirty Indiana
Jones. Oh, and absolutely a woman,' she smiles,
glancing down at her impossibly tight top. 'I
doubt you'll forget that.' Pressures so far on
the Oscar-winner include dealing with legions
of obsessive fans ('They know so much more than
me, like how long I can hold my breath underwater')
and industry opinion: 'People thought this was
a strange choice for me. And, yeah, in some ways
it'll become like an alter ego, a split personality.'
She pauses. 'But I think everybody already assumes
that I have that anyway.' Summer can't come too
soon."
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