<Tr> <Th> Budget </Th> <Td> $115 million </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Box office </Th> <Td> $274.7 million </Td> </Tr> <P> Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (also known as simply Tomb Raider) is a 2001 action - adventure film based on the popular Tomb Raider video game series featuring the character Lara Croft portrayed by Angelina Jolie . An international co-production between the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Germany, it was directed by Simon West and revolves around Lara Croft trying to obtain ancient artifacts from the enemy, the Illuminati . </P> <P> The film was released on June 15, 2001, and received generally negative reviews from critics for its stylized action and bland plot, although Angelina Jolie was praised for her performance . Tomb Raider was the highest - grossing film on its opening weekend . A sequel, titled Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, was released in 2003 . </P>

Who plays lara croft in the tomb raider movies