Amazon Prime Video is searching high and low for which actress will play the iconic ice-climbing action hero known as Lara Croft. So far, fans haven’t heard much about the production and distribution company’s upcoming series adaptation of the video game franchise Tomb Raider. With Netflix’s new animated Tomb Raider series, Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft,being renewed for a second season, the franchise is quickly gaining speed in the film and TV world. The animated show from the talented artists at Powerhouse Animation and showrunner Tasha Huo features Lara Croft on one of her signature adventures, with season two set to include her long-time best friend and documentary filmmaker Sam Nishimura. So, what does Amazon have in store for Croft?
The new take on the classic video game heroine will be brought to the screen by Fleabag creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge. According to sources at Deadline, Sophie Turner from Game Of Thrones and Lucy Boynton from Bohemian Rhapsody have reportedly been testing for the coveted role. Actresses Angelina Jolie and Alicia Vikander previously portrayed the archaeologist on the big screen in previous, not too well received, movies based on the video game franchise. Finally, someone else is getting the chance to bring the adventuring icon into live-action, and the casting picks seem promising.
Writer and executive producer Waller-Bridge has been open about her love for the franchise and how the Croft show is a passion project of hers. The action-adventure series will be executive produced by Waller-Bridge and Jenny Robins through Wells Street Productions. Other executive producers include Dmitri M. Johnson of dj2 Entertainment, Michael Scheel, Legendary Television, and Crystal Dynamics.
Who Best Embodies The Action Hero Lara Croft?
For some reason, studios haven’t been able to properly capture the iconic female video game protagonist…yet. Heartthrob Angelina Jolie’s portrayal of the heroine in 2001’s Lara Croft: Tomb Raider has been criticized by some for highlighting and focusing on the sexual nature of the badass adventurer, which is a feature of her design in the games that fans have mixed feelings about. However, when critics got a hold of Vikander’s take in the 2018 film Tomb Raider, they complained about the character not being sexualized enough, which many found to be an indication of a sexist view of the character. Since people can never agree on how they think Croft should look, never mind what she does or how awesomely she does it, Tomb Raider projects have so far failed in their attempts to find this middle ground.
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Tomb Raider: Legend of Lara Croft sets itself apart from previous adaptations in more ways than one.
Now another creator with passion for the franchise, like the successful animated show’s creator Huo, is stepping up to find the fit that is just right for the often picked-apart character. Emmy winner Waller-Bridge is more than ready to take on the challenge to please audiences and bring her own stamp to the powerful female character. With the soon-to-be produced live-action Tomb Raider show said to be a lead up to a later movie tie-in, Lara Croft will certainly be a big role for one lucky actress.
Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft is a new animated action-adventure series developed for Netflix by Powerhouse Animation (Castlevania, Seis Manos) and Legendary Entertainment. The series is set to pick up after the events of the video game reboot trilogy some time after Shadow of the Tomb Raider, with Haley Atwell voicing the titular globe-trotting protagonist.
- Release Date
- October 10, 2024
- Seasons
- 1
- Character(s)
- Lara Croft , Zip , Jonah Maiava , Charles Devereaux , Camilla Roth , Abby Ortiz , Peruvian Fighter , Young Lara