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Daisy Ridley has confirmed that she has been in talks to star in the Tomb Raider reboot.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter at the Empire Awards, held in London on Sunday, the Star Wars: The Force Awakens actress — who won the best female newcomer award — said there “have been conversations” about her picking up the Lara Croft reins left by Angelina Jolie, but that she hadn’t yet been offered the role.
“I’m waiting for someone to say, ‘I want you, let’s do it’,” she said, adding that the script hadn’t completed.
Although currently filming the eighth episode of Star Wars, Ridley said she would have time to take on the additional role – and potentially a whole new franchise – given the opportunity. “Absolutely, I’m trying to fill up my calendar,” she said.
Ridley’s co-star John Boyega — winner of Empire’s best male newcomer award — admitted that he himself had eyed Ridley to play the iconic archaeologist-adventurer, who first appeared in video games in 1996 before Jolie took her to cinema screens in 2001.
“I played Tomb Raider the game; it’s a new take and I think the movies are going to be based on that version,” he told THR. “But I texted Daisy [and] was like, ‘This is you!’ and ‘You need to get on that because you could be Lara Croft.’ She should be.”
Alongside Boyega and Ridley’s awards, The Force Awakens picked up three other honors Sunday evening at Empire magazine’s annual awards, including best director for J.J. Abrams.
The Hollywood Reporter sponsored the best British film award, which was won by Spectre and collected by Sam Mendes at the Grosvenor House hotel, while the late Alan Rickman won the Empire Legend award, the first time it had been awarded posthumously. Stanley Tucci was named Empire Hero, and Matt Damon was also on hand to pick up the best actor award for The Martian, and from his James Bourne director Paul Greengrass.
For the first time in the awards’ 21 year history, television and video game categories were included. Local miniseries This is England ’90 won best TV series, beating the likes of Game of Thrones and Fargo, while Batman: Arkham Knight won best game.
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