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[Interview]’Tomb Raider’ Director Roar Uthaug

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Tomb Raider is a reboot of the Tomb Raider film series, based on the 2013 video game of the same name. Played by Academy Award-winner Alicia Vikander, replacing Angelina Jolie, the new version of Lara Croft is a heroine who is much more hard candy than eye candy.

Like the 2013 game, this Tomb Raider film promises to be edgier and grittier than the previous incarnations. Tomb Raider represents a makeover for the Tomb Raider film series, and this is embodied in Vikander’s portrayal of Lara Croft, which is defined by functionality and precision.

The opportunity to re-imagine the Tomb Raider film series is what attracted Norwegian filmmaker Roar Uthaug to the project. Making his Hollywood feature directing debut with Tomb Raider, Uthaug, who is best known for his 2015 film The Wave, was most excited about the challenge of translating the Lara Croft Uthaug loved so much in the video game universe to the big screen.

DG: How would you describe your history with the Tomb Raider video game series, and why did you want to direct this reboot film?

RU: I’ve always loved the Tomb Raider games. The video game series has been around for over twenty years, and I’ve been playing the games since the first game was released. Growing up in Norway, my friends and I used to play Tomb Raider all the time. Lara Croft has always been an iconic character who has a lot of interesting dimensions to her. She revolutionized the role of the video game hero, and she’s the ultimate video game heroine. When I saw the reboot that had been done with the last game, the 2013 game, I was very excited about the direction the series was going on. When I got the call regarding the possibility of directing a new film, I was very interested.

DG: Did you have any creative input in terms of how Lara Croft would be portrayed in the film, or were you bound by what had been created for the video game?

RU: We were all in agreement in that we wanted to make a Tomb Raider film that was gritty and more grounded in reality than all of the previous versions. What I loved about the video game reboot is that it showed Lara Croft as being very human. She bleeds. She feels pain. She’s human. When she kills people in the game, it registers with her on an emotional level. These were the elements that I wanted to bring into the film.

DG: As this is an origin film, what do we learn about Lara Croft’s history, her life, in this film?

RU: When we’re introduced to her in the film, she’s living an ordinary life in East London, where she works as a bike courier. The conflict in the film comes from the mystery surrounding her father, who disappeared seven years earlier. Nobody knows what happened to him, and this is what leads her onto her adventure.

DG: What did Alicia Vikander bring to the role of Lara Croft that’s unique from other actresses who might have been chosen for this role?

RU: We’re both Scandinavian, so there was an instant bond between us, and I’ve followed her entire career, from before she found success in Hollywood. When we started thinking of actresses who could play Lara Croft, she was one of the first names that we thought of. Alicia has all of the elements needed to play Lara Croft. She has that ability to make an emotional connection with the audience and the character, and she was able to handle all of the physical scenes as well. She got into amazing shape for this film.

DG: How did you and Alicia create a 2018 version of Lara Croft?

RU: Alicia trained extremely hard for a month, and she developed, physically, into someone who looked like a female action hero. Her trainer pushed her extremely hard, and Alicia pushed herself very hard. It was mostly jumping and running. I knew Alicia could capture Lara Croft emotionally, and to witness her physical transformation was amazing.

DG: What do you think sets this film apart from the previous Tomb Raider films?

RU: Everything that happens in this film is grounded in character. This makes the film more exciting for the audience because they feel like they’re with Lara Croft, emotionally, as she goes through all of the action scenes in the film. This film is all about letting the audience connect with Lara. Then we bring in the big action scenes, which are more effective because we’ve gotten to know Lara Croft so well.

Tomb Raider arrives in theaters on March 16.

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‘The Strangers’ Invaded Coachella in Instagramable PR Stunt

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Renny Harlin’s reboot of The Strangers isn’t coming out until May 17, but those murderous home invaders are making a pit stop at Coachella first.

In the latest Instagramable PR stunt, the studio behind the film decided to have the trio of masked intruders crash Coachella, a music festival that takes place for two weekends in Southern California.

The Strangers

This type of publicity began when Paramount did the same thing with their horror movie Smile in 2022. Their version had seemingly ordinary people in populated places look directly into a camera with an evil grin.

The Strangers

Harlin’s reboot is actually a trilogy with a more expansive world than that of the original.

“When setting out to remake The Strangers, we felt there was a bigger story to be told, which could be as powerful, chilling, and terrifying as the original and could really expand that world,” said producer Courtney Solomon. “Shooting this story as a trilogy allows us to create a hyperreal and terrifying character study. We’re fortunate to be joining forces with Madelaine Petsch, an amazing talent whose character is the driving force of this story.”

The Strangers

The movie follows a young couple (Madelaine Petsch and Froy Gutierrez) who “after their car breaks down in an eerie small town, are forced to spend the night in a remote cabin. Panic ensues as they are terrorized by three masked strangers who strike with no mercy and seemingly no motive in The Strangers: Chapter 1 the chilling first entry of this upcoming horror feature film series.”

The Strangers

The Strangers: Chapter 1 opens in theaters on May 17.

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‘Alien’ Returning to Theaters For a Limited Time

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It’s been 45 years since Ridley Scott’s Alien hit theaters and in celebration of that milestone, it is headed back to the big screen for a limited time. And what better day to do that than Alien Day on April 26?

It also works as a primer for the upcoming Fede Alvarez sequel Alien: Romulus opening on August 16. A special feature in which both Alvarez and Scott discuss the original sci-fi classic will be shown as a part of your theater admission. Take a look at the preview of that conversation below.

Fede Alvarez and Ridley Scott

Back in 1979, the original trailer for Alien was kind of terrifying. Imagine sitting in front of a CRT TV (Cathode Ray Tube) at night and suddenly Jerry Goldsmith’s haunting score begins to play as a giant chicken egg starts to crack with beams of light bursting through the shell and the word “Alien” slowly forms in slanted all caps across the screen. To a twelve-year-old, it was a scary pre-bedtime experience, especially Goldsmith’s screaming electronic musical flourishes playing over scenes of the actual movie. Let the “Is it horror or sci-fi?” debate begin.

Alien became a pop culture phenomenon, complete with kid’s toys, a graphic novel, and an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. It also inspired dioramas in wax museums and even a frightening setpiece at Walt Disney World in the now-defunct Great Movie Ride attraction.

Great Movie Ride

The film stars Sigourney Weaver, Tom Skerritt, and John Hurt. It tells the tale of a futuristic crew of blue-collar workers suddenly awakened out of stasis to investigate an undecipherable distress signal coming from a nearby moon. They investigate the source of the signal and discover it’s a warning and not a cry for help. Unbeknownst to the crew, they have brought a giant space creature back on board which they find out in one of the most iconic scenes in cinema history.

It is said that Alvarez’s sequel will pay homage to the original film’s storytelling and set design.

Alien Romulus
Alien (1979)

The Alien theatrical re-release will take place on April 26. Pre-order your tickets and find out where Alien will screen at a theater near you.

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Home Depot’s 12-Foot Skeleton Returns with a New Friend, Plus New Life-Size Prop from Spirit Halloween

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Halloween is the greatest holiday of them all. However, every great holiday needs amazing props to go with it. Luckily for you, there are two new amazing props that have been released, which are sure to impress your neighbors and frighten any neighborhood children who are unfortunate enough to wander past your yard.

The first entry is the return of the Home Depot 12-foot skeleton prop. Home Depot has outdone themselves in the past. But this year the company is bringing bigger and better things to their Halloween prop lineup.

Home Depot Skeleton Prop

This year, the company unveiled its new and improved Skelly. But what is a giant skeleton without a loyal friend? Home Depot has also announced that they will release a five-foot tall skeleton dog prop to eternally keep Skelly company as he haunts your yard this spooky season.

This bony pooch will be five feet tall and seven feet long. The prop will also feature a posable mouth and LCD eyes with eight variable settings. Lance Allen, Home Depot’s merchant of decorative Holliday gear, had the following to say about this year’s lineup.

“This year we increased our realism within the animatronics category, created some impressive, licensed characters and even brought back some fan favorites. Overall, we are most proud of the quality and value we are able to bring to our customers with these pieces so they can continue to grow their collections.”

Home Depot Prop

But what if giant skeletons just aren’t your thing? Well, Spirit Halloween has you covered with their giant life size Terror Dog replica. This massive prop has been ripped out of your nightmares to appear frighteningly on your lawn.

This prop weighs in at almost fifty pounds and features glowing red eyes that are sure to keep your yard safe from any toilet paper throwing hooligans. This iconic Ghostbusters nightmare is a must have for any fan of 80s horror. Or, anyone who loves all things spooky.

Terror Dog Prop
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