While it seems that nobody in the film industry is busier than Ben Wheatley, he might have a little less on his plate for now: his Tomb Raider sequel, starring Alicia Vikander, has been delayed indefinitely in the latest batch of coronavirus-related postponements. Deadline reports that MGM have pulled the film from its initial planned release date of March 19, with a new launch yet to be confirmed.
The sequel, currently untitled, was scheduled for a Spring 2021 release in September 2019, at the same time that Wheatley was hired for the job. As this year has proven, the British filmmaker isn't scared of working with an established story: earlier this week he was confirmed to be directing The Meg 2, and let's not forget that his biggest film to date, Netflix's *Rebecca*, is remaking Alfred Hitchcock's 1940 classic, itself an adaptation of Daphne Du Maurier's gothic novel.
Still, with more time now to think about where Wheatley could take Lara Croft's next outing, it's all up for grabs. Amy Jump, Wheatley's partner (both romantic and professional), will be writing the script for the sequel, marking a sharp left turn from Geneva Robertson-Dworet who was on writing duties for the 2018 action film.
Wheatley also let slip that he'd managed to squeeze in a 15-day shoot for what he's calling a "post-COVID-19 horror film", going back to his more rough-and-ready early shooting days that produced the likes of Kill List, Sightseers and more. With Tomb Raider 2 on the back burner for now, who knows what else he'll find time for next.