THIRD TOMB RAIDER PIC NOT RULED OUT
Copyright 2005 www.tombraiderchronicles.com

[ August 6th 2005 ]

Eidos' newly appointed North American CEO Bill Gardner has told The Hollywood Reporter that a third Tomb Raider motion picture hasn't been completely ruled out, despite indifference from The Cradle Of Life producer Lloyd Levin and a flat out refusal from Lara Croft star Angelina Jolie.

"Although a future Tomb Raider movie hasn't been ruled out, the next cinematic offering from an Eidos game will be Hitman, to which Vin Diesel is attached for 20th Century Fox. The actor also is in talks to assume the role of Agent 47 in a new game that would tie into the movie, though the next title in the franchise, Hitman: Blood Money, is set to ship in the fall for PC, Xbox and PlayStation 2." Gardner told The Hollywood Reporter.

Paramount's Tomb Raider train spectacularly derailed in April 2004 after franchise producer Lawrence Gordon dismissed a concluding picture blaming the mediocre box-office performance of Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle Of Life. Lloyd Levin had said earlier that international returns were more than respectable enough to ensure Paramount bankroll a final chapter.

SCi Entertainment Group, which acquired rival publisher Eidos earlier this year, appointed Bill Gardner as head of Eidos' North American publishing operations. He will be overseeing all activities at SCi / Eidos' US operation, which is based at the Crystal Dynamics site in California.