US briefs: 'Tomb Raider' reboot set for March 2018

Tomb Raider, the video game-based franchise re-boot to star Alicia Vikander (pictured), has been set for a March 16, 2018 release in the US.

Norway’s Roar Uthaug will direct the Warner Bros/MGM film, with Graham King producing for his GK Films.

Angelina Jolie starred in two previous Tomb Raider films for Paramount, the most recent of which, 2003’s Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, took $65.7m in North America and $90.9m internationally.

Warner has also set an April 21, 2017 release date for Katherine Heigl thriller Unforgettable.

• Kiefer Sutherland is reportedly close to signing to join Ellen Page, Diego Luna and Nina Dobrev in the cast of Sony’s remake of Flatliners, which starts shooting this week in Toronto with Niels Arden Oplev directing. Sutherland starred with Julia Roberts and Kevin Bacon in the original 1990 sci-fi horror outing, directed by Joel Schumacher.

• Wanda Pictures’ For a Few Bullets is to be the first Chinese local-language film mastered in Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos. The comedy western opens in China on July 15 and will be available for Chinese locations equipped with the premium cinema Dolby Cinema system.

• HBO has selected emerging directors Kate Marks, Pete Chatmon and Kevin Lau for this year’s HBOAccess Directing Fellowship. The programme provides mentorship with an HBO creative executive, education about the craft and business of directing and a $100,000 budget to shoot a short presentation for the premium cable network.

• Troma Entertainment has acquired worldwide rights to director Greg DeLiso’s horror comedy Hectic Knife. Troma will give the film its New York premiere on July 28.