After what seems like decades of poorly received video game movies, the genre has seen some major leaps and jumps in the past few years, thanks to adaptations like Sonic the Hedgehog, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and even Peacock’s Twisted Metal series all hitting it off with critics and fans alike. One upcoming video game project that I’m especially excited about is the Tomb Raider TV show currently being developed by none other than Phoebe Waller-Bridge. Yes, the creator of Fleabag and star of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Phoebe Waller-Bridge.
As a longtime fan of the video game franchise (the title screen music plays in my head, like, all the time), the thought of one of the funniest, most dynamic, and punchy voices in Hollywood spearheading the project is something I am very excited about. Here are six reasons why I can’t wait to see what she does with Tomb Raider.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge Grew Up On The Tomb Raider Games
Nothing against the screenwriters of the previous Tomb Raider movies (both the Angelina Jolie and Alicia Vikander interpretations), but I firmly believe that whenever Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s take on the classic 3D platformer comes out it will be the best version of the character, considering the Emmy winner grew up a massive fan of the original games. As she told Vanity Fair in June 2023, she was so into playing the games she had to pack up her PlayStation and focus on other things as a teenager:
My parents were very smart because they didn’t actually limit me. They could sense that I was going to just game myself into the ground, and I did. I packed the PlayStation away, and I was like, ‘I’ve got to not do that because I’ve got to write and read and do other stuff.’
Later on in the interview, Waller-Bridge revealed that she rekindled her love for the games during the pandemic, which leads me to believe that Lara Croft was still floating around in her head all those years in-between.
The Fleabag Creator Has Also Said She Wants To 'Do Right By Lara'
The star, like Lara, has a very distinct and proud personality, which honestly makes her the ideal person to tackle a character she described to Vanity Fair as one with “an attitude” and who is “very deliberate in what she wanted to do.” That being said, the Killing Eve creator has said she wants to “do right by her” with the upcoming show after revisiting the games:
God, it literally felt like that teenager in me saying: Do right by her, do right by Lara! The opportunity to have, as we were talking earlier, a female action character…. Having worked on Bond and having worked as an actor on Indy, I feel like I’ve been building up to this. What if I could take the reins on an action franchise, with everything I’ve learned, with a character I adore, and also just bring back some of that ’90s vibe?
That desire, combined with Waller-Bridge’s love for the franchise, leads me to believe that this is going to be something revolutionary and more than just your run of the mill video game adaptation. This could be HUGE.
Waller-Bridge Has A History Of Writing Incredibly Strong Female Characters
Throughout her career, Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s various projects have seen her do just about everything in front of and behind the camera. Just about all of those feature incredibly strong female characters, especially Fleabag and Killing Eve.
This doesn’t mean the writer makes perfect, idyllic characters who are everything people dream they could be in reality. Instead, she crafts these remarkably rich, realistic, and oftentimes flawed female leads who aren’t afraid to be their own person. With Lara Croft being a determined adventurer and archaeologist (like Waller-Bridge’s Dial of Destiny character), she’s without a doubt the best person for the job to retool the classic video game lead.
She Also Has Experience Writing For Massive Action Movies
In addition to appearing in one of the Indiana Jones movies, creating Fleabag and Killing Eve, and doing just about everything else under the sun, the talent also has some experience with writing for massive action properties like the James Bond film franchise.
Even though she didn’t write the entirety of the No Time to Die script, the writer and actress made contributions to the screenplay throughout its development. Ahead of the 2021 film’s release, star Daniel Craig told CinemaBlend that Waller-Bridge and co-star Lashana Lynch helped flesh out the partnership shared by the two 00-agents at its core. Combine all this with her experience in front of the camera for Solo: A Star Wars Story and it’s easy to see why she’s such a good fit.
Though She's Not Acting In The Series, I'm Excited To See What She Brings From Her Indiana Jones Experience
I was already stoked to see Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (because who doesn’t love Harrison Ford’s iconic character?), but I was even more excited upon learning Waller-Bridge was going to be playing beside him. However, it seems like the actress was even more excited to be a part of the project than anyone would have guessed, as she told CinemaBlend:
I mean, I grew up loving these movies. I grew up loving adventure movies, action movies and anything to do with history and dust and caves and awe and uncovering things. But I never got to a place in my life or my career where I thought, ‘one day I'll be an Indiana Jones film!’ I never got quite that far. But yeah, it was really a dream come true in so many ways.
I know Waller-Bridge won’t be playing Lara Croft in the TV show (though I can hope, right?), but it will be interesting to see what she takes from the experience of playing Helena Shaw and applies to the titular tomb raider.
The Show Could Also Lead To New Movies And Games, Which Would Be Great
I may be getting ahead of myself here, but I think the show will be a hit and then lead to a resurgence in the franchise’s movie output and lead to the first game in the series since 2018’s Shadow of the Tomb Raider. As Deadline reported back in February 2023, the Amazon original series appears to be the first in a multi-part process that could see the property become an absolute juggernaut in the coming years.
If this ends up happening, I’m going to be excited for a number of reasons. There’s the side of me that’s excited to see one of my favorite video game franchises come out of the shadows and into the limelight, but I’m also excited because I can introduce the series to my daughter as she continues to explore her gaming journey.
All in all, the idea of Phoebe Waller-Bridge ushering in a new era for Tomb Raider is something we should all be excited about. While we wait for more concrete details on the show, now would be a good time to check out the 2023 TV schedule to learn more about the shows that'll soon be available for anyone with an Amazon Prime subscription.
