This Is the Cast of the New Tomb Raider Series!
Sophie Turner gets notable support
The new "Tomb Raider" series is continuing to take shape. It has been known for several months that "Game of Thrones" star Sophie Turner will be seen as Lara Croft. Now Amazon has revealed more of the cast – and is attracting attention with one big name in particular.
We are talking about sci-fi legend Sigourney Weaver, known from numerous Hollywood productions such as "Alien" and "Avatar". In the "Tomb Raider" series, she plays the character Evelyn Wallis. She is described as a "mysterious, high-flying woman who is keen to exploit Lara's talents".
Another familiar name is Jason Isaacs, known to "Harry Potter" fans as Lucius Malfoy. Isaacs takes on the role of Lara's uncle Atlas DeMornay. Martin Bobb-Semple, on the other hand, plays Lara's long-time friend Zip. Also joining the cast is "Fleabag" actor Bill Paterson as Winston, the Croft family's butler. The cast also includes German-Swedish actor August Wittgenstein and Jack Bannon as Lara's pilot. The ensemble is completed by John Heffernan, Celia Imrie, Paterson Joseph, Sasha Luss and Juliette Motamed.
The showrunner duo Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Chad Hodge are behind the series. Waller-Bridge is best known as the creator and lead actress of the acclaimed series "Fleabag". Hodge developed the mystery series "Wayward Pines", among others. Filming is set to begin on January 19, though a release date for the series has not been announced yet.
The world of Tomb Raider
The long-running pop culture phenomenon "Tomb Raider" includes both successful video games and several movies. At the center of it all is the iconic adventurer Lara Croft, who has been a symbol of action-adventure, archaeology and exploration since the 1990s.
The video game series
The video game series "Tomb Raider" was first released in 1996, developed by the studio Core Design. The game revolutionized the action-adventure genre by combining exploration, puzzles, platforming and combat in a 3D environment. The series has sold millions of copies and is one of the most successful action-adventure franchises ever.
The protagonist Lara Croft is a highly intelligent, athletic archaeologist who explores ancient tombs all over the world, searching for artifacts and holding her own against human opponents and mystical dangers. She quickly became one of the most famous characters in video game history.
Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft
The "Tomb Raider" films dared to attempt to transfer the successful video game series to the big screen. The first film, "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider", was released in 2001 and made the character known to an even wider audience. It stars Angelina Jolie, who embodies Lara Croft as a self-confident, athletic and extremely battle-hardened adventurer. The film is loosely based on the early video games and relies heavily on action, exotic locations and spectacular stunts. Despite rather lukewarm reviews, the film was successful at the box office and cemented Lara Croft's status as a pop culture icon. Due to this success, the sequel "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - The Cradle of Life" followed in 2003. Once again, Angelina Jolie took on the leading role.
Tomb Raider with Alicia Vikander
Many years later, the film series was relaunched. With "Tomb Raider" from 2018, the franchise received a reboot that differs from the earlier films. Alicia Vikander plays a younger, less experienced version of Lara Croft, who is not yet the confident adventurer of the Jolie films. The movie tells the story of Lara's first big adventure, which takes her to a mysterious island while she investigates the fate of her missing father.
The Tomb Raider series
In fact, there is also an animated series on Netflix: "Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft". In the new live-action series from Amazon Prime Video, Sophie Turner will now follow in the footsteps of Angelina Jolie and Alicia Vikander. The leading actress has already spoken about her history with the "Tomb Raider" franchise.
"I've been a long-time fan of Tomb Raider and the character of Lara. She has always felt for me, very emboldened in a male dominated world. She's a fierce female role model!"
So it will be interesting to see if the new "Tomb Raider" series and Turner as Lara Croft can win over the fans.
