In the wake of HBO’s The Last of Us seeing unprecedented success for its first two episodes, another iconic video game franchise looks to get the streaming treatment. Tomb Raider will soon receive its own Amazon streaming series, penned by Emmy-winning actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Waller-Bridge, who stars in the upcoming Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, is set to write the untitled series. She will also serve as an executive producer but is not set to star in the adaptation.
According to sources, the streaming series is part of an overall deal with Dmitri M. Johnson’s dj2 Entertainment, which includes the rights to make a Tomb Raider feature film and the previously-teased upcoming Tomb Raider game.
Sources tell THR that the deal’s goal is to build an interconnected, multimedia Tomb Raider universe similar to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The sources say the deal is among Amazon’s largest commitments following Lord of the Rings, which includes The Rings of Power and planned spin-offs. No further news, including who might portray protagonist Lara Croft, was announced.
Tomb Raider history explained
Tomb Raider is no stranger to live-action adaptations. The first came in 2001 with Oscar winner Angelina Jolie portraying the titular character in Paramount’s Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. A sequel, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life, released two years later. In 2018, fellow Academy Award winner Alicia Vikander donned Lara’s tank top and bow and arrow in Tomb Raider, based on the series’ 2013 reboot.
The Tomb Raider franchise also includes animated series, such as Revisioned: Tomb Raider. The ten-part series, released in 2007, sees actress Minnie Driver voice the action heroine. An upcoming Tomb Raider anime starring MCU actress Hayley Atwell is also in the works at Netflix. Its release date is currently unspecified.
The Tomb Raider series has enjoyed critical acclaim for over a quarter of a century. Selling over 95 million copies worldwide, it follows the adventures of archaeologist Lara Croft as she hunts down artifacts from around the world. The franchise consists of roughly a dozen main series entries, as well as multiple offshoots, spinoffs, and mobile games.
While the Tomb Raider series has seen multiple iterations in its 27 years, in 2021, developers Crystal Dynamics revealed plans to unify the disparate eras into one. Later that year, franchise executive producer Dallas Dickinson stated that any future Tomb Raider-related projects will be made with their vision of unification in mind.
Who do you want to see portray Lara Croft in Amazon’s upcoming Tomb Raider series? Do you want to see individual games adapted or a brand-new story? Let us know on our socials or in the comments below!
