Are you ready for an exhilarating trek back into the treacherous and enigmatic realms that only Lara Croft: Tomb Raider could conquer? Prime Video proudly raises the curtain, announcing an epic foray into the adventures of the iconic Lara Croft, with the daredevil genius of Phoebe Waller-Bridge at the creative helm.
As part of an ambitious collaboration with Crystal Dynamics and Amazon MGM Studios, we’re on the precipice of a groundbreaking series that promises to breathe new life into the ‘Tomb Raider‘ franchise. The show, which is based on the wildly popular Tomb Raider video game series, will chronicle the exploits of archaeologist Lara Croft, who has not yet been cast.
With Waller-Bridge, the creative force behind hits like “Fleabag” and “Killing Eve,” directing the story and the massively popular video game legacy serving as a backdrop, this project is more than just an adaptation; it is an ambitious plan that promises not only a phenomenal TV series on Prime Video but also an eventual takeover of the big screen.
However, not everyone is happy with Amazon’s choice of creative control for the show
Amazon brings in Indiana Jones 5 actor as Tomb Raider‘s director
The Tomb Raider franchise is still very popular in the gaming community, right from its blocky PlayStation 1 days. The live-action adaptations turned Lara Croft into a kind of superhero: with Hollywood’s go-to lady Angelina Jolie being the face of a duology, succeeded by Alicia Vikander in 2018.
The franchise has changed studios twice before landing in Amazon’s lap, the Lara Croft: Tomb Raider series headed by Jolie was produced via Paramount, and Vikander’s Tomb Raider under Warner Bros. Recently, Amazon announced a Tomb Raider TV series to order, and the one who will be creating the project might surprise you.
At Amazon’s Upfront event in New York, Head of Amazon & MGM Studios Jen Salke announced the news along with actor/writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge being the creative head of the series. However, not a lot of fans were happy about the reveal.
Fans are not happy with Amazon’s choice
While the announcement of a live-action adaptation of the beloved Lara Croft: Tomb Raider franchise has sent ripples among the video games’ lovers, some fans who had followed Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s work in the past were not so happy. Some of them reacted on X:
While the concerns about Tomb Raider‘s live adaptation seem legit after Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny critically and commercially banked big time, we have to remember that it wasn’t really Waller-Bridge’s fault. The screenplay was written by James Mangold and his team, while Waller-Bridge was just an actor.
In fact, her writing resume flaunts an impressive collection of TV shows and movies (the exceptions being Solo: A Star Wars Story and Indiana Jones 5). She has won Emmy Awards for Fleabag and Killing Eve, and also worked on the James Bond film No Time to Die. Hence, Waller-Bridge definitely has the potential to make the show a hit. For now, we can only wait and watch if she can work against all the backlash and prove them all wrong once and for all.
