Two years ago, we celebrated the launch of "Athena", a Tomb Raider fan film created by Kate Sykes which aimed to "help change perceptions of how those with disabilities are portrayed on screen." The film continued the Croft story, this time imagining a future in which Lara's daughter grows up in the shadow of her mother's tightly held secrets.
Recently, Kate announced that "Athena" had passed a milestone, with over 5,000 fans tuning in to see the original story. We were left in anticipation as the final screen teased that "Athena may just return... one day". A few days ago, we finally got that confirmation! In a video from the cast and crew thanking fans who checked out the video, Kate concluded by revealing where things currently are with the sequel, now revealed as "The Path to Eden".
Kate teases that "The Path to Eden" is progressing well, with work on the script almost complete and a trailer pencilled in for later this year. With a bigger script in mind, the crew is also seeking out better equipment and have also started collaborating with Infinite Potential Films. There's also been some news of casting as Kate Davies-Speak is set to reprise her role as Lara Croft, and Mhairi Calvey joining the project as the mysterious, Ariela.
If you're active in the Tomb Raider community, Kate's name is probably a very familiar one to you. She was selected to be the Official Cosplay Ambassador at EGX for the release of "Rise of the Tomb Raider", and spotlighted in Prima Games' "Twenty Years of Tomb Raider" book. She also single-handedly runs the official Tomb Raider fansite, The Digger's Daughter with over 60,000 readers. Growing up in an acting family has also given her the passion for filmmaking, and in 2016 she used her writing talents on the fan film, "Hunted" which have received over 600,000 views worldwide, along with a Christmas themed "Tomb Raider" fan film three years prior. Despite all of these projects, Kate refers to Athena as her "first film", a standalone title that she had full creative control over and saw from start to finish.
In her latest work, Kate explores an alternative future in which, having disappeared years earlier, the Croft estate now falls onto Athena who has recently turned eighteen. Back at Croft Manor, Lara's daughter goes in search of the reason for her mother's disappearance and comes into the possession of the relic which her mother sought to protect. As a result, Athena now becomes hunted by those who want to use it for nefarious purposes.
"Athena" began production back in January 2018 following positive reception to the fan film's concept on Kate's social media. Soon after, she began talks to fellow actor and friend, Kate Davies-Speak, who later joined the cast to play Lara Croft, and help with some of the creative decisions. Despite no budget, the project soon found a slew of breathtaking locations and a cast with prior acting skills. The indoors scenes at Croft Manor was shot at Sykes' and Davis-Speak's family homes in the UK, with a nearby school used for the exterior shots. Within a few months, Stephen Quinn (VO enemy), Ben Park (on-screen enemy), Jason Rhodes (Judas Iscariot), and Terry Sykes (Winston) had joined the cast.
Similar to Alicia Vikander, Kate decided to start an exercise routine ahead of filming. Although she wouldn't play Lara herself, Athena would be very much her mother's daughter. As Kate was born with Quadriplegic Spastic Cerebral Palsy, she experiences tightness in her tendons in her arms and legs, so before exercise could start, she first needed to look into exercise routines and tools best suited to her. Soon after she began posting exercise videos on the fan film's Facebook page, documenting her progress first with stretches, then introducing weights that could be fitted to her arms. It's clear in these videos the level of determination she had to pursue her dream project and to get into character. In a recent blog post on her site, The Digger's Daughter, she expanded on how these exercise routines have changed her stating that she had noticed more muscle definition in her biceps since.
Recently, Kate announced that "Athena" had passed a milestone, with over 5,000 fans tuning in to see the original story. We were left in anticipation as the final screen teased that "Athena may just return... one day". A few days ago, we finally got that confirmation! In a video from the cast and crew thanking fans who checked out the video, Kate concluded by revealing where things currently are with the sequel, now revealed as "The Path to Eden".
If you're active in the Tomb Raider community, Kate's name is probably a very familiar one to you. She was selected to be the Official Cosplay Ambassador at EGX for the release of "Rise of the Tomb Raider", and spotlighted in Prima Games' "Twenty Years of Tomb Raider" book. She also single-handedly runs the official Tomb Raider fansite, The Digger's Daughter with over 60,000 readers. Growing up in an acting family has also given her the passion for filmmaking, and in 2016 she used her writing talents on the fan film, "Hunted" which have received over 600,000 views worldwide, along with a Christmas themed "Tomb Raider" fan film three years prior. Despite all of these projects, Kate refers to Athena as her "first film", a standalone title that she had full creative control over and saw from start to finish.
In her latest work, Kate explores an alternative future in which, having disappeared years earlier, the Croft estate now falls onto Athena who has recently turned eighteen. Back at Croft Manor, Lara's daughter goes in search of the reason for her mother's disappearance and comes into the possession of the relic which her mother sought to protect. As a result, Athena now becomes hunted by those who want to use it for nefarious purposes.
"Athena" began production back in January 2018 following positive reception to the fan film's concept on Kate's social media. Soon after, she began talks to fellow actor and friend, Kate Davies-Speak, who later joined the cast to play Lara Croft, and help with some of the creative decisions. Despite no budget, the project soon found a slew of breathtaking locations and a cast with prior acting skills. The indoors scenes at Croft Manor was shot at Sykes' and Davis-Speak's family homes in the UK, with a nearby school used for the exterior shots. Within a few months, Stephen Quinn (VO enemy), Ben Park (on-screen enemy), Jason Rhodes (Judas Iscariot), and Terry Sykes (Winston) had joined the cast.
Similar to Alicia Vikander, Kate decided to start an exercise routine ahead of filming. Although she wouldn't play Lara herself, Athena would be very much her mother's daughter. As Kate was born with Quadriplegic Spastic Cerebral Palsy, she experiences tightness in her tendons in her arms and legs, so before exercise could start, she first needed to look into exercise routines and tools best suited to her. Soon after she began posting exercise videos on the fan film's Facebook page, documenting her progress first with stretches, then introducing weights that could be fitted to her arms. It's clear in these videos the level of determination she had to pursue her dream project and to get into character. In a recent blog post on her site, The Digger's Daughter, she expanded on how these exercise routines have changed her stating that she had noticed more muscle definition in her biceps since.
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