It's official! Phoebe Waller-Bridge's long-awaited Tomb Raider television adaptation is finally fearing up to shoot, with Sophie Turner locked in as the star.
After nearly a year of speculation, the British actor and Game of Thrones alum has officially accepted the iconic role of Lara Croft, which has previously been brought to life by Angelina Jolie and Alicia Vikander.
“I am thrilled beyond measure, to be playing Lara Croft,” Turner said of the role. “She’s such an iconic character, who means so much to so many – and I am giving everything I’ve got. They’re massive shoes to fill, following in the steps of Angelina and Alicia with their powerhouse performances, but with Phoebe at the helm, we (and Lara) are all in very safe hands. I can’t wait for you all to see what we have cooking.”
Rumblings of a Tomb Raider remake have been circling since circa 2022, with the only thing certain that Waller-Bridge—who is adored by all for her black comedy hits Fleabag, Crashing and Killing Eve—would be on board to write and executive produce. The project comes as part of the star's renewed her deal with retail giant and streamer, Amazon.
Even more exciting, the project is set to be mammoth, with one source revealing to The Hollywood Reporter that it is amongst the largest commitments at Amazon since Lord of the Rings. To put that in dollars and cents, it is estimated that Amazon has spent $250 million on rights.
Below, all the important details.
Who is involved in the Tomb Raider project?
At this stage, Turner is the only actor attached to the project. There have been new names added to the creative side, however.
We already know that Phoebe Waller-Bridge will serve as creator, writer, and executive producer on the series. Joining her is Chad Hodge as executive producer and co-showrunner, as well as Jonathan van Tulleken as director and executive producer.
“I’m so excited to announce the formidable Sophie Turner as our Lara alongside this phenomenal creative team,” Waller-Bridge said. “It’s not very often you get to make a show of this scale with a character you grew up loving. Everyone on board is wildly passionate about Lara and are all as outrageous, brave, and hilarious as she is. Get your artifacts out… Croft is coming…”
When will the Tomb Raider series come out?
With Amazon just now securing their lead actor, we're a while away from firming up a release date. We do know, however, that filming is slated to begin in January 2026. Our guess is that we'll (hopefully) be watching it all go down on screen in late 2027.
