Sophie Turner in Talks to Play Lara Croft in ‘Tomb Raider’ Series from Phoebe Waller-Bridge
Brian Welk
From Westeros to some of the most exotic and dangerous catacombs in the world, Amazon MGM’s “Tomb Raider” series has found its Lara Croft.
“Game of Thrones” star Sophie Turner is in talks to play Lara Croft in Amazon MGM’s live-action “Tomb Raider” series, according to multiple reports. The series is being created by “Fleabag” star Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and it would be the first time the video game character would be adapted as a live-action series.
Amazon MGM declined to comment. Reps for Turner declined to comment.
Turner would follow in the footsteps of both Angelina Jolie and Alicia Vikander, who played Croft in two separate film iterations, Jolie in films from 2001 and 2003, and Vikander in a film from 2018. The game franchise has also found new life on screen thanks to an animated series for Netflix, “Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft.” That series, in which Hayley Atwell voices Lara Croft, has already been picked up for a second season.
Crystal Dynamics and Amazon MGM Studios are producing the series. “Tomb Raider” is executive produced by Waller-Bridge and Jenny Robins via their Wells Street Productions banner, Dmitri M. Johnson (who also produces the animated series) through dj2 Entertainment, Michael Scheel, and Legendary Television, which holds the rights to the character. Crystal Dynamics is also executive producing.
Turner this year starred on the CW series “Joan” and since the end of “Game of Thrones” has appeared in “The Staircase” and Netflix’s “Do Revenge.”
A new live-action “Tomb Raider” adaptation has been up in the air for some time. Waller-Bridge was first reported to be developing a series back in early 2023, but the show was not formally picked up until May of this year. Deadline at that time reported that Turner had screen tested, as had Lucy Boynton.
In an unusual snafu, MGM, as the studio was being absorbed into Amazon, managed to let the film rights to the property lapse before any plans could be set for a follow-up feature with Vikander starring. IndieWire reported that in a reunion with Amazon MGM after the fact, the studio was eyeing more than just a series but also a film and video game as part of an interconnected universe of “Tomb Raider” projects.
In a fun bit of fan-casting, the idea was floated that Aubrey Plaza should play Lara Croft, something Plaza herself embraced. But we’re good with Sansa Stark.
Deadline first reported the casting news.
