It seems that Phoebe Waller-Bridge has developed an affinity for archeology-inspired projects. Reports suggest that as a part of her deal with Amazon Prime Video, the 37-year-old actress and screenwriter is due to pen a new adaptation of the iconic Tomb Raider video game franchise.
THR claims that Waller-Bridge has been tasked with writing the scripts for the upcoming TV series as well as serving as an executive producer for the show. It’s not clear if she will be starring in any capacity nor if she will be a part of the new Tomb Raider movie Amazon Studios is working on.
But having her onboard in the most crucial role, fresh off co-starring in the upcoming installment to the Indiana Jones franchise called Dial of Destiny, brings hope that she can reinvigorate this Tomb Raider adaptation.
The announcement represents a major opportunity for the Tomb Raider multimedia franchise and the actress herself. The latest installment to the game franchise was Shadow of the Tomb Raider, released back in 2018. The devoted fan base has been starving for nearly half a decade, so any news of new content being created is welcomed. The movie adaptation of the rebooted games, which saw Alicia Vikander starring as Croft, was met with mixed opinions and even that is nearing its fifth birthday.
The animated series adaptation, which will feature Marvel’s Hayley Atwell as the voice of Lara Croft, is slated to be released on Netflix later this year, but that doesn't cover the entire target audience.
Amazon seems to be going all-in on big video game franchise adaptations, with a December report claiming the studio is also planning a God of War TV show. It is also slated to publish the next Tomb Raider game, granting the tech giant full control over the Tomb Raider franchise.
It sounds like a solid investment, given the performance of HBO’s The Last of Us and Netflix’s Cyberpunk: Edgerunners. Last of Us was renewed for a second season just two episodes into the first one, and that’s even before the highly teased third episode aired on small screens.
Sony’s Gran Turismo movie is coming in early August and with Netflix making a Horizon Zero Dawn series, gamers will have a lot of adaptations to watch in the coming years.
