SINGAPORE - The first pictures of Swedish actress Alicia Vikander as Lara Croft in the reboot of the action adventure film Tomb Raider have been released.

She told Vanity Fair over e-mail that she was excited to take on the character. "I think people can identify with her for lots of different reasons, but for me, I very much see her as a model for many young women. She's trying to carve out her place in the world and connect her future with her past. She also has a fantastic mix of traits - tough, smart, vulnerable, plus she's kickass!"

Vanity Fair reports that the movie comes with a new backstory for Lara as she travels to an island off the coast of Japan to investigate her father's disappearance.

Actress Angelina Jolie had previously played the role of the heroine in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) and Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle Of Life (2003). The films are based on the popular video game Tomb Raider, originally released in 1996.

Vikander, who had won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for the biographical romantic drama The Danish Girl (2015), added: "She is also uniquely different to other characters I have taken on previously. It's a lot of fun trying to get into Lara's head and the challenge of getting to grips with such a physical role is an element of this project that I find an absolute thrill."

Tomb Raider is helmed by Norwegian director Roar Uthaug (The Wave, 2015) and is slated to be released in March 2018.