Chad Hodge is joining creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge as co-showrunner. Prime Video is ready to send Lara Croft on her next adventure.
The Amazon-owned streamer has confirmed that Game of Thrones alum Sophie Turner will play Lara Croft in its Tomb Raider series from creator, writer and co-showrunner Phoebe Waller-Bridge. As THR previously reported, Turner emerged as the frontrunner for the coveted role late last year from a short list of actresses that also included Mackenzie Davis, Emma Mackey and Lucy Boynton.
The series has also brought on Chad Hodge (Good Behavior, Single All the Way) as co-showrunner alongside Waller-Bridge and set a Jan. 19 date for production to begin. Jonathan Van Tulleken (Dope Thief, Shogun) has also signed on as director and executive producer.
Turner, whose recent credits include HBO Max’s The Staircase and the ITV/CW miniseries Joan, will be the third actress to play the iconic video game character in a live-action adaptation of Tomb Raider. Angelina Jolie and Alicia Vikander took on the role in previous feature films.
“I’m so excited to announce the formidable Sophie Turner as our Lara alongside this phenomenal creative team,” Waller-Bridge said in a statement. “It’s not very often you get to make a show of this scale with a character you grew up loving. Everyone on board is wildly passionate about Lara and are all as outrageous, brave, and hilarious as she is. Get your artifacts out — Croft is coming.”
Said Turner, “I am thrilled beyond measure to be playing Lara Croft. She’s such an iconic character, who means so much to so many — and I am giving everything I’ve got. They’re massive shoes to fill, following in the steps of Angelina and Alicia with their powerhouse performances, but with Phoebe at the helm, we (and Lara) are all in very safe hands. I can’t wait for you all to see what we have cooking.”
Waller-Bridge, an avowed fan of the video game franchise, began developing Tomb Raider in early 2023, and Prime Video placed a series order for the show in May 2024. Cyrstal Dynamics (which developed the Tomb Raider game franchise), Story Kitchen and Amazon MGM Studios are producing the series.
Waller-Bridge executive produces via her Wells Street Productions. Hodge, Van Tulleken, Wells Street’s Jenny Robins, Story Kitchen’s Dmitri M. Johnson, Mike Goldberg and Timothy I. Stevenson, Michael Scheel and Legendary Television also exec produce.
From TheHollywoodReporter.com