Summary

Phoebe Waller-Bridge is bringing
Tomb Raider
to Prime Video with a new series following Lara Croft’s adventures, which has yet to be cast.
Waller-Bridge is writing and producing the show, which follows her controversial work on another archaeologist-based franchise,
Indiana Jones
.
Amazon Studios MGM wants to expand the
Tomb Raider
franchise with a new film connected to Waller-Bridge’s series. Lara Croft is also headed to Netflix with an anime
Tomb Raider
series.

Killing Eve and Fleabag creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge will be bringing Tomb Raider to Prime Video, the company revealed today at their upfront presentation in New York. Based on the hugely successful Tomb Raider video game franchise, the series will follow the adventures of archaeologist Lara Croft, who has yet to be cast. A Tomb Raider project was first announced in January 2023, but at that time there was little known about its development. With today’s presentation, Prime Video officially confirmed that a series has been ordered.

As per Variety, Waller-Bridge will write and executive produce the new Tomb Raider show, which hails from Crystal Dynamics and Amazon MGM Studios and Legendary Television. Waller-Bridge, a longtime fan of the franchise, says she feels “incredibly privileged” to be bringing the project to life. Check out her full statement below.

“
If I could tell my teenage self this was happening I think she’d explode. Tomb Raider has been a huge part of my life
and I feel incredibly privileged to be bringing it to television with such passionate collaborators. Lara Croft means a lot to me, as she does to many, and I can’t wait to go on this adventure. Bats ‘n all.”

Tomb Raider Release Date March 5, 2018 Director Roar Uthaug

Amazon MGM Studios Chief, Jennifer Salke, echoed Waller-Bridge’s sentiments, commenting that the acclaimed writer/director is the perfect person to bring Tomb Raider to life, thanks to her love of the games. She says that the next step will be finding the right person to portray the iconic character of Lara Croft.

Phoebe has a lifelong love affair with Lara Croft and very soon we’ll start the worldwide search for who will play this iconic role and I just can’t wait.

Tomb Raider Is a Global Franchise

Tomb Raider was first released in 1996 on Sega Saturn, MS-DOS, PlayStation, and Pocket PC. Since that time, it has become a global franchise consisting of numerous video games, comic books, TV shows, and movies. Angelina Jolie first brought the character of Lara Croft to life on the big screen in 2001 with Simon West’s Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, which would go on to gross over $270 million dollars, paving the way for a sequel, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life, in 2003.

The franchise was brought back to theaters in 2018 with Alicia Vikander in the lead role for Roar Uthaug’s Tomb Raider, and while that film did prove successful, its sequel, Tomb Raider: Obsidian, was mired in problems from the beginning. Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, there were numerous starts and stops, and in 2022, MGM lost the rights to the project after its window to green-light the film ran out, and the movie was officially scrapped.

Related Tomb Raider: Is the Franchise the Best Choice for a Cinematic Universe? An upcoming series, feature film, and video game are all in the works for Tomb Raider. But is it really the best choice for a cinematic universe?

Amazon Studios, MGM’s sister company, swooped in and acquired the rights in January 2023, breathing new life into the Tomb Raider franchise. A new film is in the works, which plans to be connected to Waller-Bridge’s series. Says Crystal Dynamics studio head Scot Amos:

“Amazon MGM Studios and Amazon Games are incredible collaborators with a massive reach across the globe,
enabling us to expand our Tomb Raider franchise with multiple new adventures
and a shared passion for creating impactful, entertaining, emotional experiences for players and viewers throughout every facet of this universe.
These timeless stories span all media platforms to meet audiences where they want to engage with Tomb Raider; it’s a critical step towards our future with fans everywhere.”

In addition to the Prime Video series, Netflix will be bringing Lara Croft to their streaming platform by way of an anime-style series that’s set to debut in 2024. Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft will take place following the events in the 2018 video game, ‘Shadow of the Tomb Raider.’ MCU alumnus Hailey Atwell will provide the voice for Croft, with Allen Maldonado (Superfly, American Carnage) and video game voice actor, Earl Baylon, also lending their talents to the series. Check out the teaser trailer below.