Earlier Friday, The Hollywood Reporter said that Amazon is developing a TV series based on the Tomb Raider video game franchise with scripts written by Phoebe Waller-Bridge. But that’s apparently not all: later in the day, Deadline corroborated the report about the TV series and added that a new Tomb Raider movie is in the works at Amazon Studios, too.
Amazon is reportedly making a Tomb Raider TV series written by Phoebe Waller-Bridge
Amazon is reportedly making a Tomb Raider TV series written by Phoebe Waller-Bridge
Details are light on these new Tomb Raider adaptations, but THR says that while Waller-Bridge will serve as a writer and executive producer on the show, she won’t be starring. The show is apparently still in the development stages, so we probably shouldn’t expect to see it anytime soon.
This new series and movie could end up as more big video game franchise adaptations for Amazon, which announced in December that it would be making a God of War TV show. But it also marks a further investment from Amazon into the Tomb Raider franchise, as the company will also be publishing the next Tomb Raider game from Crystal Dynamics. Amazon didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment.
Video game adaptations are on something of a hot streak: Netflix’s Cyberpunk: Edgerunners was a hit, while HBO’s The Last of Us was just renewed for a second season after only two episodes. Hopefully, Amazon can bring a similar level of quality as those shows to the new Tomb Raider series and movie. (I never saw the older Tomb Raider movies, but my understanding is that they aren’t great.)
The Tomb Raider adaptations will have to compete with a lot of other video game media in the works. Netflix is making a Horizon Zero Dawn series, Peacock is developing a Twisted Metal show, and Sony’s Gran Turismo movie is set to premiere on August 11th. And Amazon isn’t the exclusive home for new Tomb Raider things, as Netflix is working on a Tomb Raider anime, too.
Update January 27th, 8:17PM ET: Added Deadline’s report about a Tomb Raider movie in the works and noted that Netflix is developing a previously-announced Tomb Raider anime.