A new Tomb Raider series is currently in the works with Fleabag creator and star Phoebe Waller-Bridge. The Tomb Raider franchise began as a series of video games centered on the titular adventurer Lara Croft, an archaeologist who goes on a series of daring adventures in ancient ruins and, naturally, tombs. The game series was originally adapted into live-action in the 2001 film Lara Croft: Tomb Raider starring Angelina Jolie, which was followed by the 2003 sequel Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life. The film wing of the franchise was later rebooted with Alicia Vikander in 2018's Tomb Raider, though that film's promised sequel has failed to come to fruition in the meantime.
Per THR, the iconic Lara Croft will return once more, but this time to the small screen. Amazon is developing a new Prime Video series adapting the property with Waller-Bridge attached as the main writer. Along with Ryan Andolina and Amanda Greenblatt, Waller-Bridge will also be executive producing the series. However, she will not be playing the lead of the series, so the production still needs to find its Lara.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge Has Already Proven Her Action Bonafides
Although Waller-Bridge is still best recognized for her work on Fleabag and other comedies like the 2016 sitcom Crashing, she has already proven that she is worth her salt when it comes to action filmmaking. The first major glimmer of her aptitude for grittier material came during her stint as executive producer and head writer on the hit spy thriller series Killing Eve, which premiered in 2018 and went on to be nominated for five Golden Globes and 14 Emmy Awards, winning one apiece. That same year, Waller-Bridge appeared as the socially aware droid L3-37 in the prequel film Solo: A Star Wars Story.
After revealing her action prowess both on and offscreen, Waller-Bridge more or less permanently shifted her focus to more action-oriented work both as a writer and actor. One of her biggest projects in the genre was the final Daniel Craig James Bond film, 2021's No Time to Die, on which she is one of several co-writers. She is also set to play a huge role in the upcoming Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, the latest entry in the classic Harrison Ford adventure series that serves as a huge inspiration for the original Tomb Raider games.
Who Will Play Lara Croft In The New Tomb Raider Show?
With the role of Lara Croft still unclaimed in the new Tomb Raider series, many actors will likely be clamoring for the opportunity to take the lead. It seems unlikely that Vikander would be returning for this project (though she and Jolie could always make cameos if they are willing), so the door is wide open for new blood. There is a huge roster of talented actors who could fill the role, but some that have recently shown off their action chops and may have a shot include Uncharted star Tati Gabrielle (who also recently appeared on the Netflix heist series Kaleidoscope) and Emily the Criminal star Aubrey Plaza, who also recently shucked her comedy roots from series including NBC's Parks and Recreation.
Source: THR