For many months, the project was considered shelved, but now Amazon has even announced an official date for filming to begin.
The new Tomb Raider series did not get off to a good start. Amazon’s plans for a reboot were first reported in January 2023. Then there was no news for months until the project finally got the green light in May 2024.
However, this was followed by silence again – until now. Amazon MGM Studios has now announced that production will start soon and has finally confirmed who will play the title character Lara Croft.
The new Lara and the team behind the scenes
Back in May 2025, she showed off her toned physique by the pool, fueling the rumor mill. Now it’s official: Sophie Turner will play the adventurous archaeologist!
The 29-year-old actress made her big breakthrough with her role as Sansa Stark in Game of Thrones.
Sophie Turner set to star as Lara Croft in upcoming Tomb Raider series from Amazon MGM Studios.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge serves as creator, writer, executive producer, and co-showrunner.
Jonathan Van Tulleken set as director and executive producer and Chad Hodge joins as… pic.twitter.com/m7aaaZH9Sk
— Amazon MGM Studios (@AmazonMGMStudio) September 3, 2025
And that’s not all: Filming for the new series is set to begin on January 9, 2026 January 2026. Fans can therefore probably expect a release in 2027 .
Actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag, Indiana Jones and the Wheel of Time) is serving as screenwriter and showrunner.
She is supported by Chad Hodge, who has already worked on films and series such as The Darkest Minds, Wayward Pines, and Good Behaviour. Jonathan van Tulleken (Shõgun, Top Boy) is on board as executive producer and will direct some episodes.
Waller-Bridge grew up with Lara Croft and is particularly excited (via Variety):
It’s not often that you get to film a series of this magnitude with a character you’ve loved since childhood. Everyone involved is excited about Lara and just as quirky, brave, and funny as she is. Get your artifacts out… Croft is coming…
Sophie Turner is also ready for her new adventures as the cinematic reincarnation of the iconic video game character and honors the performances of her predecessors in her statement:
I am overjoyed to be playing Lara Croft. She is such an iconic character who means so much to so many people – and I am giving it everything I have.
It’s a huge challenge to follow in the footsteps of Angelina and Alicia with their powerful performances, but with Phoebe at the helm, we (and Lara) are in very good hands. I can’t wait for you all to see what we’ve created.
Specific details about the plot of the live-action series and the rest of the cast are not yet available. However, as the project appears to be taking shape, we can probably expect some announcements in the coming months.
Incidentally, the new animated series Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft was released on Netflix on October 10, 2024. However, our gaming editor Jesko is less than enthusiastic about it, as he explains in his linked article.
