The Big Picture

• Lara Croft returns in new Tomb Raider series on Prime Video.
• The series is written by Fleabag creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge.
• Prime Video's announcements include Nicolas Cage in Noir and Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2 trailer.

Legendary treasure hunter and video game icon Lara Croft is flipping onto screens once again with a brand new Tomb Raider series on Prime Video. The new television adaptation is set to be written and produced by Fleabag creator and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny star Phoebe Waller-Bridge. Waller-Bridge was first attached to a new Tomb Raider show back in 2023, but now Prime Video has officially ordered the series amid their other major announcement today, such as the casting of Nicolas Cage in Noir and the first trailer for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power Season 2.

It's no secret that the Tomb Raider games were somewhat inspired by the Indiana Jones films, so it's fitting that the star of the most recent film will be leading the charge on the new series. While Phoebe Waller-Bridge will be writing and producing the show, the Dial of Destiny standout is not currently attached to star in the series. Following the show's announcement, Waller-Bridge expressed her excitement for making the series as a life-long fan of the source material:

"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."

In addition to Phoebe Waller-Bridge, the new Tomb Raider show will also be produced by Crystal Dynamics - the acclaimed video game developer behind the Tomb Raider games. It's been previously announced that Crystal Dynamics and Amazon have partnered to create a brand-new, yet-to-be-titled Tomb Raider game to go along with the new show. It's currently unclear whether this will be a completely new iteration of the Lara Croft character or if it will be a continuation of the most recent reboot trilogy of games.

'Tomb Raider' Has a Long History in Film and Television

Lara Croft has had more than a few adaptations developed about her over the years that preceded Prime Video's new show. The most obvious example is the Angelina Jolie film, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, which is typically remembered as one of the better video game adaptations in an age where they were consistently poor quality. The film was a surprise success, even inspiring a sequel with Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - The Cradle of Life.

An attempt to bring Lara Croft back to the live-action world with 2018's Tomb Raider, starring Alicia Vikander. The reboot moves away from the over-the-top action of the Jolie films and leans more into the survival elements of the most recent reboot trilogy of games. Again, not a bad video game adaptation, but it still didn't reignite the same interest in the character that the games and prior movies did.

Oddly enough, Phoebe Waller-Bridge's new show isn't the only Tomb Raider show in development. Netflix has it's own anime-inspired adaptation in the works with Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft. Starring Hayley Atwell in the titular role, the new show will reportedly function as a direct continuation of the reboot trilogy of games. Netflix has not yet announced a release date for Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft at this time despite releasing a trailer in 2023.

Prime Video also has not revealed a release window for Phoebe Waller-Bridge's Tomb Raider show at this time.

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