Tomb Raider is one of video games' most iconic franchises, in part thanks to its numerous sequels and big budget film adaptations. In a recent interview, Ben Wheatley, director of the 2018 Tomb Raider reboot's forthcoming sequel, revealed an interesting and pragmatic approach to designing movie sets.
The 2018 film starring Alicia Vikander as Lara Croft is a reboot of the 2000's Tomb Raider film franchise featuring Angelina Jolie, more based on the 2013 video game that revived the long-running franchise. The game features an explosive blend of action, globe-trotting, and exploration, so it is fitting that Wheatley would turn to another creative, exploration-themed game as a tool for prototyping sets: Minecraft.
Speaking with Polygon, Wheatley revealed that he designed the sets for his 2016 film, Free Fire — which he likened to a game of Counter Strike — in Minecraft. Set design is one of countless innovative uses for the Minecraft's creative mode, which has allowed players to recreate famous fictional locales, build functional computers, and enabled students to explore ancient Roman cities. Wheatley explained that the game was "the most user friendly" tool for rapidly building 3D environments.
Building realistic, 3D renders of sets before constructing them is a common practice in Hollywood, but the effort and costs of developing such models in professional programs are decidedly non-trivial. Wheatley was able to not only build the set in Minecraft, but recreate his model set with cardboard boxes in a warehouse. This blocky, out-of-the-box thinking could be a huge boon to any filmmaker looking to cut costs. Amateur filmmakers looking for a way to build compelling sets may be interested in acquainting themselves with Minecraft to imitate Wheatley's approach.
While Vikander has signed on Wheatley's Tomb Raider sequel, the COVID-19 pandemic has complicated the production process significantly. Even though Roar Uthaug's 2018 Tomb Raider film failed to achieve the success of recent video game adaptations such as Sonic the Hedgehog and Detective Pikachu, Wheatley is a gamer and fan of the franchise who said he is invested in the project's success.
The stars may be aligning to that effect as well. Hollywood is ripe for another heroine in the vein of Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel, and as a character, Lara Croft has matured far beyond her early roots as a sex-symbol and face of a number of bizarre commercials in the late 90s.
Wheatley did not mention whether he would be using Minecraft's creative mode to model sets for his Tomb Raider film, though given the series' focus on remote ruins and perilous natural environments, it seems like a perfect fit for the practice. Paired with influences from the two most recent games in the rebooted franchise, Wheatley's sequel could shape up to be a fun ride.
Source: Polygon