GEEK - Issue 3 2018 - 38

has been a change happening. The last few
months have been a catalyst, a ripple effect
that has been extremely powerful and that's
been wonderful to see. But, of course, when I
started doing English-speaking films, I was just
attracted to something like Hunger Games - to
not only see a single main character in one of
those big franchise movies, but also to prove
that it's commercially successful. Same thing
with Wonder Woman, which I thought was
wonderful. And I really do think that there's a
time now when all these stories finally have
a light shining upon them and are getting a
chance to be told.
GEEK: Have you gotten the reaction from

protagonist being a heroine. When I was approached
to make this film, I was already familiar with the
character.
Maybe another layer is because I used to dance
until I was 19, and with these kind of big adventure
spectacle films and action films I've always wondered
what it's like to be in one of them and use that kind of
movement. This allowed me to be able to step into one
of those big films.
GEEK: How did the reality compare to your fantasy?
ALICIA VIKANDER: How you approach a role like this

as an artist and as a filmmaker is the same in essence.
The passion and the preparation work, and a lot of
wanting to create an in-depth and multi-leveled
character, is the same, but the amount of people involved, I guess, is the huge difference. You go from
maybe 60 people to 350, which is one of the things that gives the feeling it's such a huge machinery
and that you're really creating another world. Everything was kind of built sets; we didn't have that
much green-screen, which I thought was extremely thrilling. But the biggest challenge is to create
films that have artistic depth and value and still are able to become the big adventure and rides that
they're supposed to be.
GEEK: Was there much you could take away from the video game to help play the character?
ALICIA VIKANDER: Definitely. When I was called up and asked if I would be interested to be a part

of this project, the first thing I thought was, "Angelina Jolie kind of made her into an icon because of
the films that were made." And then I was told that this film was going to be based on the rebooted
game from 2013. This, of course, made me go and buy the games and immerse myself in that
universe. Lara still has the same traits: She's intelligent, witty, she has this incredible ability of always
seeing things from the good side. She falls over and she always gets back up. I understand why the
video game company rebooted the game's view of women - how it's really changed. If you would
go up to any young man or woman on the street, the definition of badass action hero is defined very
differently nowadays compared to 20 years ago when she first came out. So I love the fact that it was
much more of an origin story and that you're getting this real girl who has those famous traits, but
also has a vulnerability and is a young person trying to find her place in the world and understand her
path. This is the story of her becoming the very loved action hero that she's so well known to be.
GEEK: Is the timing for the film fortuitous in the sense of everything that's been going on with women

being put in a more powerful position?
ALICIA VIKANDER: Let's just hope that this is not a coincidence. Over the last few years, there
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ISSUE 03

people, "She's an Academy Award winner
and she's doing Tomb Raider?"
ALICIA VIKANDER: I think people kind of did, but
for me I loved these films and I've always loved
them, and to be given the chance to be part
of making one has been extremely wonderful.
We kind of step into the cinema to leave the
world behind and kind of immerse yourself in
an adventure. To get the chance to do that is
amazing. I've always loved playing characters
of different genres that have been very different
from anything I've just done before. My friends
know that I've always said, "Oh, my God, to get
the chance to play an action hero would be
frigging amazing."
GEEK: What was the physical aspect of this film

like for you?
ALICIA VIKANDER: It's kind of a gift when

someone tells you, "Your full-time job for the
next four months is going to be immersing
yourself in everything from MMA training to
bicycling to climbing." I really wanted to
change my body for this, because it's put
within the story that she's a girl who trains in
MMA; she's a bicycle courier; she's a physical
being. When she actually ends up on this
assignment and she has to become the survivor,
you will find it plausible that she would have the
strength to find the tools that she probably has
within her to conquer and survive.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of GEEK - Issue 3 2018