When the 'Tomb Raider' video game dropped all the way back in 1996, it quickly became a success and launched Lara Croft into the spotlight. Fans fell in love with the quirky feminine hero, who was willing to show that not all ladies in the world of gaming were damsels in distress, waiting to be saved by Prince Charming. Sequels followed and Croft cemented herself as a household name. It was only a matter of time before her story was adapted for the big screen.

Producer Graham King has opened up on why Angelina Jolie isn't in the new 'Tomb Raider' movieProducer Graham King has opened up on why Angelina Jolie isn't in the new 'Tomb Raider' movie

2001 was the year in which Angelina Jolie ('Salt') stepped into the leading role in 'Lara Croft: Tomb Raider', earning praise for her portrayal and even landing a sequel with 'The Cradle of Life'. Unfortunately, the second flick didn't go down very well with the majority of viewers, and the series was shelved for the foreseeable future.

Last year however, Warner Bros. Studios decided they'd begin filming on a whole new reboot of the franchise for cinemas, with Alicia Vikander ('Ex Machina') landing the role of Croft. Starring alongside the likes of Dominic West ('The Wire') and Walton Goggins ('Justified'), the film is directed by Roar Uthaug ('The Wave'), who worked on a screenplay from Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Alastair Siddons.

Angelina Jolie played Lara Croft on the big screen back in 2001Angelina Jolie played Lara Croft on the big screen back in 2001

Recently premiering to lukewarm reviews, a number of critics have said that the reboot fails to combat the 'video game movie curse' effectively, but there have also been a number of positive things said about the adaptation. One question a lot of people have however, is why Jolie didn't at least make an appearance in the new film, as a throwback to the original.

Speaking with Cinema Blend, the film's producer Graham King explained that there were a few ideas batted around, but the opportunity to bring Jolie on board never really presented itself: "It was never a story that had that moment where you could, you know what I mean? Pass the baton over. There wasn’t that kind of tone and that would’ve changed tones to have that... the studios of course, said ‘Is there a way to get Angie? Should we try and have her kind of baton over this kind of thing?’ And I understand it for marketing and studios or whatever, but that never felt organic to our film. Something like that can tip the balance."

Alicia Vikander plays Lara Croft in this year's 'Tomb Raider' rebootAlicia Vikander plays Lara Croft in this year's 'Tomb Raider' reboot

The reasoning behind leaving Jolie out of the fold is certainly understandable. A lot of the people going out to see the new 'Tomb Raider' will likely have been fans of the original, so allowing Jolie the chance to "pass the baton" would only have confused matters. Vikander is without a doubt able to carry the Croft torch without having it given to her, as an extremely capable actress and performer, so let's hope that this reboot is just the start of an all-new series for the big screen. This weekend's box office numbers should let us know a little bit more about the future.

More: First Look At Alicia Vikander As Lara Croft In 'Tomb Raider' Remake

The new 'Tomb Raider' is out now in cinemas across the UK.