Lara Croft is vine-swinging onto television once again courtesy of Prime Video. According to an official press release, the iconic video game series, Tomb Raider, will receive a live-action adaptation written by Fleabag’s Phoebe Waller-Bridge. The Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny actress will also be the executive producer.
Announced during yesterday’s upfront presentation, the series is a collaboration between video game studio Crystal Dynamics and Amazon MGM Studios, as part of a first-look deal dj2 Entertainment has with the production company. The deal also includes future film adaptations. The series will center on Croft, the “world-famous archaeologist and adventurer.”
“If I could tell my teenage self this was happening I think she’d explode,” Waller-Bridge said via the press release. 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.”
Based on the decades-long video game franchise, Tomb Raider has played out on the big screen before. Angelina Jolie (Gia, Marvel’s Eternals) originated the live-action persona in two films: 2001’s Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and its sequel, The Cradle of Life. Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl, Jason Bourne) starred in a reboot of the franchise in 2018, after the video game series was revived for a new generation with 2013’s aptly named Tomb Raider. The game delivered two sequels, Rise of the Tomb Raider and Shadow of the Tomb Raider, etching the series’ twelfth main title. The first game was released in 1996.
“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,” Scot Amos, Head of Studio at Crystal Dynamics, said via the press release. “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.”
“I’m so happy to announce that we have ordered the epic, globetrotting series Tomb Raider from the incredibly gifted Emmy-award winner Phoebe Waller-Bridge and the team at Crystal Dynamics,” said Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon MGM Studios.“Fans and newcomers can look forward to exhilarating adventures that honor the legacy of this iconic character.”
Joining Waller-Bridge with production duties are Jenny Robbins (No Time to Die, Killing Eve) through Wells Street Productions, dj2 Entertainment’s Dmitri M. Johnson (It Takes Two: Sonic the Hedgehog 3), Micheal Scheel (Inglorious Bastards, Unknown), and Legendary Television. Consulting producers are Ryan Andolina (Charlotte’s Web) and Amanda Greenblatt (Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Date Night) via their Star Party banner.
Tomb Raider marks the second major video game adaptation on Prime Video’s roster after Bethesda’s post-apocalyptic RPG, Fallout, found critical and commercial success last month. Others in recent years include HBO’s Emmy-winning The Last of Us and Peacock’s fun take on Twisted Metal, with both receiving second seasons. Tomb Raider will also get animated in Netflix series slated for later this year.