Amazon is putting all its chips on Croft as a new Tomb Raider movie is currently planned for the streaming service. Not only that, but the company has also struck a massive deal to create an interconnected franchise of projects under the Tomb Raider banner not unlike the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The recently-announced Tomb Raider show from Phoebe Waller-Bridge was apparently just the beginning, as Amazon now plans to add a full movie to the mix. The long-running video game series has seen its fair share of sequels and re-imaginings over the years, so this isn't a particularly novel concept for those familiar with its history. But where those past projects have tended to be their own standalone things, it looks like the situation will be a bit different and more cohesive this time around.
According to sources close with The Hollywood Reporter, this new deal between Amazon and dj2 Entertainment (which co-produced the Sonic the Hedgehog films and is currently working on adapting Life is Strange and Disco Elysium into films and TV shows) aims to connect the new series with the aforementioned movie as well as an upcoming Tomb Raider video game. This is a pretty big deal to see such interconnectivity in this franchise, particularly given how there hasn't been much, if any, crossover between the various forms of media in its past. It's worth noting that Waller-Bridge is not involved with the movie. She's also only writing the series rather than starring in it.
Some may remember hearing about an animated Tomb Raider series from Netflix starring Agent Carter's Hayley Atwell. But this new collection of projects at Amazon is completely separate from that. For one, production on that series appears to have stalled, with a projected 2023 release date still seeming rather shaky. This isn't surprising, as The Hollywood Reporter's sources also claim that this new Tomb Raider deal is one of Amazon's largest commitments to date, possibly trailing only The Lord of the Rings. For reference, Amazon has apparently spent $250 million on the rights alone to that franchise. So that should offer an impressive look at how big this new deal is for them.
It seems likely that Amazon's Tomb Raider series will feature a different version of Lara Croft. That would make sense if the company plans to create its own universe of stories for the adventuring archeologist. But it's also unclear if that means it will be entirely separate from previous games or if it will try to serve as a follow-up, showing how she's evolved from the still relatively inexperienced figure seen in this past decade's Tomb Raider reboot trilogy of video games.
Either way, it's more Tomb Raider, and that's always worth some attention. The British adventurer is one of gaming's most important and recognizable characters, and many of her classic Tomb Raider games have aged surprisingly well. So seeing Lara again in a new light is certainly an enticing prospect. Here's hoping Amazon and dj2 end up creating something as fun as the games have always been.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
