Alicia Vikander says Tomb Raider sequel is in limbo: 'It's kind of in somebody else's hands'

Lara Croft's big screen return might be holstered in place for the time being.

In a new interview for her HBO series Irma Vep, Oscar-winning actress Alicia Vikander tells EW that the long-gestating sequel to her 2018 Tomb Raider movie adaptation is currently in limbo, after Lovecraft Country developer Misha Green was previously tapped to write and direct the continuation.

"With the MGM and Amazon buyout, I have no clue. Now it's kind of politics," Vikander says, referencing Amazon's multi-billion-dollar acquisition of MGM in March. "I think Misha and I have been ready, so it's kind of in somebody else's hands, to be honest." (MGM had no comment.)

Ilzek Kitshoff/Warner Bros. Alicia Vikander as Lara Croft in the 'Tomb Raider' movie

She adds that she "can't really say" much about Green's interpretation of Croft, the revolutionary action-adventure heroine who shook up the gaming industry upon the release of the first Tomb Raider title back in 1996. We last saw the character on screen in Roar Uthaug's 2018 blockbuster, which followed Croft's origin story as she followed in her father's (Dominic West) footsteps across a remote island to investigate a grim mystery surrounding an ancient Japanese queen.

"I've been excited to show the world," Vikander teases of Green's vision. "I love what she's done with Lovecraft Country."

Vikander previously told EW that the sequel was on deck prior to the coronavirus outbreak, though things stalled in recent years.

"I hope we go and make another movie. Because of the pandemic, we had plans of shooting this film, and now it's been one and a half years, but Misha Green is on board, and she's writing a draft right now," she said. "It's pretty amazing — we're, like, the same age! I was like, 'Oh, I'm just now on a Zoom with an extremely talented woman that I think has done some incredible work.' It would be so amazing if we get to go and do this very big-ass film together, going to kick some ass in front of the camera and behind the camera, you know?"

The Danish Girl star's go-round as Croft grossed $274 million at the global box office, 17 years after Angelina Jolie first brought the character to life in 2001's Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, which grossed virtually the exact same amount (unadjusted for inflation) in worldwide ticket sales in 2001.

Hear more on all of today's must-see picks on EW's What to Watch podcast, hosted by Samantha Highfill.

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Related content:

• Tomb Raider: The evolution of Lara Croft

• Alicia Vikander hopes to 'kick some ass' on Tomb Raider sequel with Misha Green

• Dedicated to the Croft: Alicia Vikander, Tomb Raider team on Lara's superheroic legacy