Recently shared storyboards for the canceled Tomb Raider sequel would have featured an attack on the Croft Manor. Directed by Roar Uthaug, the 2018 adaptation of the long-running video game franchise of the same name starred Alicia Vikander as Lara Croft, a daring British archeologist. Partially based on the 2013 Tomb Raider reboot video game and its sequel, the film went on to be a hit, grossing over $274 million at the box office.
Shortly after Tomb Raider was released, a sequel was greenlit, with filming intended to begin in 2020. However, the COVID-19 pandemic severely delayed production. By 2021, writer-director Misha Green was hired to replace the previous team and wrote her own script with the working title of Tomb Raider: Obsidian. However, in July 2022, MGM lost the rights to the Tomb Raider franchise after the studio failed to greenlight the new film in time, sparking a recent bidding war.
SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY
Now, Jake Lunt Davies, a storyboard artist who worked on the canceled Tomb Raider 2 film, recently took to social media to share images of his storyboards depicting scenes in which Lara Croft's mansion, Croft Manor, is attacked by unknown assailants. Davies posted 18 panels featuring a daring raid at night by armed masked individuals under cover of a thunderstorm. Although Davies provided no story details, the images depict a riveting, action-packed scene. Check out the storyboards below.
With no narrative specifics detailing the sequence, fans can only speculate on the nature of the attack in the canceled Tomb Raider sequel. The assailants likely belong to the shadow organization known as Trinity, the antagonists of the first film. With the intruders breaking in under cover of darkness, cutting out the power, and smashing the glass of a display case, the group may have infiltrated Croft Manor to steal one of the many priceless artifacts the affluent family has on display. Lara caught the shooters during the robbery and seemingly needed to use her prowess to outsmart an opponent that had her outmanned and outgunned.
With MGM losing the rights to Tomb Raider, there is very little chance that Green's story will ever be produced, and the scene depicted in the storyboard will see the light of day. If a new studio picks up the rights, the franchise will likely be rebooted for a third time with a new actor as Croft. Recently, director Edgar Wright humorously recommended Community star Aubrey Plaza to take on the titular role. With the fate of the Tomb Raider franchise up in the air, storyboards and concept art will likely be the only parts of the canceled film released to the public.