Waller-Bridge leads new Tomb Raider reboot for prime video

Alicia Vikander, who portrayed Lara Croft in the 2018 film, expressed sadness at being unable to return to the role. The new project, produced by Phoebe Waller-Bridge under her contract with Amazon, valued at $20 million a year, has decided to conduct a new casting.

According to information provided by the "Independent", producers are planning to audition Sophie Turner, known for her role as Sansa Stark in "Game of Thrones", and Lucy Boynton, featured in "Sing Street" and "Bohemian Rhapsody". Previously, Emma Corrin ("The Crown") and Mackenzie Davis ("Don't Be Evil") were also on the list.

Vikander, who received critical acclaim for her portrayal of Lara Croft, was expected to return in a sequel. However, the project was shelved after MGM lost the "Tomb Raider" rights. In an interview with the "Independent", the actress admitted, "Of course. I had so much fun."

Phoebe Waller-Bridge, known for the success of the series "Fleabag", expressed great excitement about working on the new project. Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon Studios, remarked, "She is clever, brilliant, generous and a virtuoso on multiple fronts including writing, acting and producing."

Although Waller-Bridge has not yet achieved production success at Amazon — her involvement in the series "Mr and Mrs Smith" with Donald Glover ended due to creative differences — Vernon Sanders, head of television at Amazon Studios, assures, "When she does deliver, she delivers."

The character of Lara Croft originates from the "Tomb Raider" game. Lara is an archaeologist, first introduced to the world in 1996 through the aforementioned game. She hails from a wealthy family but prefers dangerous expeditions and discovering new places globally to social events. Based on the games, three feature films have been produced. Angelina Jolie starred in the first two, "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" and "Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life". Alicia Vikander starred in the third.