Amazon Sets 'Tomb Raider' Universe Steerheaded by 'Fleabag' Creator and Star Phoebe Waller-Bridge

by Darian Scalamoni

    Phoebe Waller-Bridge has been a massive talent for Amazon Prime Video since her comedy series Fleabag was released, garnering tons of awards and acclaim for the offbeat, fourth wall breaking show. Now, since her overall deal with the streamer was recently renewed, they have been looking for an IP for her to put her stamp on, and they've settled on a video game character whose identity on screen has been rocky as of late. 

    According to The Hollywood Reporter, Waller-Bridge will pen a television series surrounding the Tomb Raider franchise. The series is currently in development, but it would be the first foray following Lara Croft in television. Previously, there have been two incarnations of the video game series on the big screen. First, Angelina Jolie played the character in the early 2000s for two films: Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider - The Cradle of Life. Additionally, Warner Bros. tried to reboot the character in 2018 with Oscar-winning actress Alicia Vikander taking over the role. 

    In a separate article from THR, Amazon is also working on a new feature within the "Tomb Raider universe" as well as a new video game installment. Waller-Bride will also executively produce the TV series; however, she doesn't seem to be attached to the film or game being created for Amazon. She is said to be a massive Tomb Raider fan and jumped at the opportunity to write the scripts for Amazon Prime Video. 

    Waller-Bridge is set for a big year in 2023 as she will co-star with Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny this June. She also recently helped write the script for No Time to Die, Daniel Craig's last James Bond film in 2022 and has just signed on to produce another project for Amazon with Sign Here, adapting Claudia Lux's book of the same name.