"Although it’s an adaptation of the popular video game "Tomb Raider," the development of the film was influenced by a market that "wasn't used to women leading summer blockbusters" (with the exception of the "Alien" film series).This factor influenced his decision to cast Angelina Jolie as Croft, though she was not well known (she was not the studio's first choice, in contrast to Catherine Zeta-Jones, Ashley Judd, and Jennifer Lopez).