The Tomb Raider franchise will celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2026, and the iconic game series is about to get the small-screen treatment with a live-action TV show. The upcoming video game adaptation, which will be available with an Amazon subscription at some point in the future, will bring the adventures of Lara Croft to life with some major talent on both sides of the camera. As someone who has been playing these games from the beginning, I couldn’t be more excited for what’s to come.
If you want to know more about the Amazon original series, I’ve got a treat for you. Grab your compass, backpack, and sense of adventure, because we’re diving into the new Tomb Raider TV show…
What Is The Tomb Raider Premiere Date?
It has not yet been announced when we’ll get to watch the new Tomb Raider live-action series, as the premiere date remains one of the biggest mysteries concerning the Amazon original. As much as I would love to see this drop at some point on the 2026 TV schedule to celebrate the game franchise’s big anniversary, I wouldn’t be surprised if we don’t see Lara Croft start solving puzzles and taking on all manners of threats (human, animal, dinosaur) for another year. However, I could be wrong (I hope I’m wrong).
The Tomb Raider TV Show Cast
Over the years, talented actresses like Angelina Jolie, Alicia Vikander, and Hayley Atwell have portrayed Lara Croft in various live-action movies and animated series, and now a Game of Thrones alum will take on the role. Amazon has announced that Sophie Turner will portray the iconic video game character in the new series, and the X-Men star sounds awfully excited to be a part of the series. As she revealed in a statement:
I’ve been a longtime fan of Tomb Raider and the character of Lara. She has always felt for me, very emboldened in a male-dominated world. She’s a fierce female role model!
Turner won’t be alone in the series, as Amazon has put together a killer cast surrounding the star. Here’s everyone who has been announced for the show so far:
- Sigourney Weaver as Evelyn Wallis
- Jason Isaacs as Atlas DeMornay
- Martin Bobb-Semple as Zip
- Celia Imrie Francine
- Bill Patterson as Winston
- Jack Bannon as Gerry
- John Hefferman as David
- Paterson Joseph as Thomas Warner
- Sasha Luss as Sasha
- Juliette Motamed as Georgia
- August Wittgenstein as Lukas
Phoebe Waller-Bridge Is The Writer And Executive Producer Of The Tomb Raider Series
Phoebe Waller-Bridge will be writing and serving as the executive producer on the Tomb Raider TV show. The Emmy-winning Fleabag creator was confirmed to be spearheading the latest adaptation of the popular game franchise when the show was picked up back in May 2024, but she had been involved with the project for around a year or so beforehand.
Waller-Bridge may not seem like the first person you’d call on to reinvent a franchise, but the Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny star has a long history with the games on which her new show is based. In a 2023 interview with Vanity Fair, she admitted to being a Tomb Raider addict when she was younger, stating:
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.’
Waller-Bridge would later fall back in love with the game during the pandemic, and shortly after she was approached by Amazon about developing the project. Later in the profile, she said she wanted to “do right by her, do right by Lara.” Now, she gets her chance.
Joining Waller-Bridge on the creative side is Chad Hodge, who will serve as co-showrunner and executive producer. Hodge’s previous credits include Wayward Pines, Good Behavior, and Famous, to name a few. They will also be joined by Jonathan Van Tulleken, who’ll serve as director and executive producer. If Van Tulleken’s name sounds familiar, it could have something to do with his work on Shogun a couple of years back.
The Live-Action Series Will Follow The Iconic Video Game Character Lara Croft
Amazon hasn’t revealed any specifics about the Tomb Raider plot when it comes to creating a new story or adapting one of the many games from the franchise, but the live-action series will follow Lara Croft on an adventure of some sort. With the way Waller-Bridge helped punch up the No Time to Die script a few years ago, the franchise should be in good hands with whatever story she comes up with.
That said, there are so many different directions this story could take. On one hand, they could adapt the early games in which Lara is already an established archaeologist, while on the other, they could pursue a story similar to the 2013 reboot that focused on a younger and more inexperienced heroine following a deadly shipwreck. Or they could simply create something entirely new.
The Tomb Raider Franchise Has Been A Major Force In The Video Game World For 30 Years
If you were around and playing video games in the ‘90s, there’s a good chance you’ve played (or at least attempted to play) one, two, or all of the various Tomb Raider games released since we were first introduced to Lara Croft back in 1996.
Since then, there have been nearly two dozen releases in the series, including several reboots like Crystal Dynamics’ 2013 Tomb Raider, which completely changed both the gameplay and the presentation of the franchise star. Playing the games has never been easier when it comes to accessibility, as all of the newer titles are available on modern consoles, and the first three games were repackaged and remastered in early 2024 (another collection followed in 2025). There is also a remake of the first game, titled Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, set for a 2026 release, as well as a new title, Tomb Raider: Catalyst, scheduled to drop in 2027.
Production Will Reportedly Get Underway In January 2026
Though Amazon hasn’t announced any release date or window at this time, it sounds like production on Tomb Raider could get underway very, very soon. In September 2025, Deadline reported that cameras were set to start rolling on January 19, 2026, which is days away at the time of this writing. Expect to hear much more about a shoot in the days and weeks to come.
How To Watch Previous Tomb Raider Adaptations
The upcoming Tomb Raider show is the latest in a long line of movies and series inspired by the iconic video game and its famous heroine. Though it’s still not known how the new show will tie into the franchise, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to go back and watch everything that’s come before. I mean, you could also play the games, but there are so many at this point, and I’m not sure you’d have the time or patience to complete them all, especially those earlier entries in the franchise.
That said, here’s how to watch the Tomb Raider franchise up to this point:
- Rent/Buy Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001) on Amazon.
- Rent/Buy Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life (2003) on Amazon.
- Rent/Buy Tomb Raider (2018) on Amazon
- Stream Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft (2024 - 2025) on Netflix.
Expect to hear a whole lot more about the Tomb Raider TV show in the weeks and months to come. Until then, I think I’m going to go back and play some of those games again.
