Culture Amazon Officially Green Lights ‘Tomb Raider’ TV Series Penned By ‘Indiana Jones and The Dial Of Destiny’ Star Phoebe Waller-Bridge

https://boundingintocomics.com/2024/05/14/amazon-officially-green-lights-tomb-raider-tv-series-penned-by-indiana-jones-and-the-dial-of-destiny-star-phoebe-waller-bridge/

https://archive.ph/6xWLG

Spencer Baculi | May 14, 2024


Lara Croft (Judith Gibbons) takes aim at Tony (Peter Kelamis) in in Tomb Raider III: Adventures of Lara Croft Remastered (2023), Crystal Dynamics / Helena (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) dismisses Indy's (Harrison Ford) adventuring advice in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023), Lucasfilm

As if the recent attempts by current developer Crystal Dynamics to both censor the Tomb Raider I-III Remastered collection and distance the franchise from its “colonialist” origins hadn’t already left fans utterly exhausted with the franchise’s handling, Amazon has officially placed a series order for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny star Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s previously-announced-as-in-development, live-action Tomb Raider treatment.


Lara Croft gets her next lead on Ms. Natla in Tomb Raider Remastered (2023), Crystal Dynamics

Word of series protagonist Lara Croft’s return to live-action was officially confirmed by Head of Amazon MGM Studios Jennifer Salke during the company’s first official upfront presentation – a type of event wherein a given studio will show off their upcoming productions to major advertising entities in the hopes of selling ad spots – as held on May 14th.

Taking the stage to reveal the news, Salke further detailed that not only was the series, as previously rumored, set to be penned and executive produced by the aforementioned Waller-Bridge, but that it would also center specifically on long-time franchise protagonist Lara Croft rather than any side or original character.


Helena (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) scrambles to convince Indy (Harrison Ford) to return to the present in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023), Lucasfilm

Later speaking to Amazon for an official press release regarding the series’ green-lighting, Salke asserted, “I’m so happy to announce that we have ordered the epic, globetrotting series Tomb Raider from the incredibly gifted Emmy-award winner Phoebe Waller-Bridge and the team at Crystal Dynamics. Fans and newcomers can look forward to exhilarating adventures that honor the legacy of this iconic character.”

Likewise, when asked for her thoughts on the series’ green-lighting for an official Amazon press release, Waller-Bridge excitedly asserted, “If I could tell my teenage self this was happening I think she’d explode.”

“Tomb Raider has been a huge part of my life and I feel incredibly privileged to be bringing it to television with such passionate collaborators,” she added. “Lara Croft means a lot to me, as she does to many, and I can’t wait to go on this adventure. Bats ‘n all.”


Lara Croft raids a tomb via Card #1501, Magic: The Gathering – Secret Lair Drop (2023), Wizards of the Coast. Art by Greg Staples.

Waller-Bridge’s attachment to a live-action Tomb Raider series was first rumored in February 2023, courtesy of a report penned by Deadline’s Nellie Andreeva based on information relayed to her by supposed insider sources.

Four months later, Waller-Bridge would not only confirm to IGN that she was involved in the project, but also provide the first details on her approach to adapting the beloved IP.

https://twitter.com/IGN/status/1668783297118498816

“There’s so much I can incorporate,” she told the video game news outlet. “I mean, the character of Lara Croft was inspired by Indiana Jones and James Bond. So there’s so much, and it just felt like the perfect final step in my own personal adventure through this kind of franchise world.”

“I love the idea of, as Steven Spielberg describes it, ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’, as in being able to make things with that scale and to go on adventures that big and for the comedy and the heart to be matched but on this kind of great, great level,” she added. “And, actually, through all the adventure stuff that I’ve learned from those [franchises], it’s actually how to keep something feeling grounded as well as allow it to be bigger than itself in some way. And so hopefully that will all translate perfectly, seamlessly into Tomb Raider.”


NuLara Croft draws her signature bow via Card #1504, Magic: The Gathering – Secret Lair Drop (2023), Wizards of the Coast. Art by Eliz Roxs.

As previously reported, in addition to Waller-Bridge, Amazon’s Tomb Raider will also feature the writing talents of WandaVision and story editor and The Marvels writer Megan McDonnell.

Notably, Amazon’s Tomb Raider series is set to be just one part in the company’s planned ‘Tomb Raider universe’, an interconnected media endeavor that would connect through various television, film, and video game projects.


Lara Croft (Judith Gibbins) recovers from a careless fall in Tomb Raider I-III Remastered (2024), Aspyr

To this end, according to Andreeva’s aforementioned report, though Waller-Bridge is primarily working on the television series, word has also circulated that “she also could be involved in the potential movie”.

However, as of writing, not only does the television series the only ‘Tomb Raider universe’ entry yet to have been officially announced, but Waller-Bridge’s attachment to any potential movie also remains unconfirmed.

 

[Corpun]

So that explains why that movie was so shitty, it was all an advertisement f her non-existent acting chops for this fucking show. You just know she will be starring as Lara given her record as an entitled cunt of a woman.

Also I'm not convinced that she isn't a troon. I know Anglo women aren't particularly good looking but c'mon, no way she isn't a he.

 

[Blacklight]

Didn't Crystal Dynamics also just say they're trying to drop the 'Tomb Raider" from the handle of the game as well? I also remember they're making some board game or something where one of the side characters is a disabled lesbian with a peg leg and danger hair with the half shaved head.

 

[Jeremiah the Bullfrog]

Worse, she's English gentry. she's basically the British equivalent of Lena Dunham - she made a cringe "girl funny" TV series ages ago that appealed to fellow upper class vapid brats, and since those make up the bulk of the producing staff for entertainment companies, she keeps getting cast/hired for series she and they have zero interest in.
She's not *quite* as embarrassing as Dunham, which may make her career last longer, but as the years stretch on from Fleabag, she'll be doomed to ever more irrelevant background jobs.

I haven't thought about Lena Dunham since I found out she liked shoving rocks up her sister's pussy and googled her. Talk about an ugly woman who didn't age well.

 

[queue-anon]

I matched up with a cute gal on a dating app and she said Fleabag was her favorite show. Saw a few episodes and I'm glad I dodged that red flag. Phoebe Waller left the Mr. and Mrs. Smith show over "creative differences" with Donald Glover, so you know that she likes having complete control and doesn't play well with others.

Also Dong Lover is actually capable of being funny.

when women are in charge of entertainment they will let the entire franchise burn to the ground before letting anyone who's younger or prettier than them get attention. rip tomb raider

That depends on whether they're treating the beautiful female lead as a self-insert, i.e. the Eternals' Gemma Chan vs. Chloe Zhao's homely ass.

 

[The Skeksis Emperor]

I'm much less bothered by her involvement than this:

Whatever vision and ideas she or anyone else has will ultimately be subsumed into yet another to-be-aborted copy of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Yes, agreed. Fleabag was good for what it was, PWB can at least write something of quality. The Marvel drone made nothing but utter garbage.
If they cast PWB as Lara I will laugh forever though.

Phoebe Waller left the Mr. and Mrs. Smith show over "creative differences" with Donald Glover, so you know that she likes having complete control and doesn't play well with others.

Donald Glover is a racist arrogant twat though, I assume neither of them play well with others.

 

[BulkForceFive]

Worse, she's English gentry. she's basically the British equivalent of Lena Dunham - she made a cringe "girl funny" TV series ages ago that appealed to fellow upper class vapid brats, and since those make up the bulk of the producing staff for entertainment companies, she keeps getting cast/hired for series she and they have zero interest in.
She's not *quite* as embarrassing as Dunham, which may make her career last longer, but as the years stretch on from Fleabag, she'll be doomed to ever more irrelevant background jobs.

This is also how that dreadful 'Saltburn' movie got made, raw unrefined nepotism and daddy's moneyism.

They are really, really out of ideas. Borderlands, Tomb Raider, Fallout, possibly even a Gears of War movie... why now? Why not years and years ago when any of those franchises were culturally relevant? The only answer I can think of is that they are either extremely risk-averse or they are getting these IPs at fire-sale prices. They (producers) want something with a built-in fanbase and a guarantee that a certain number of seats will have asses in them.

"But why do they make them suck, then?" Just because you can envision creating a thing doesn't mean you have the skills to actually do it. Modern Hollywood is also crippled by a horrible mix of 'we have to listen to him, his dad's paying for all this' and 'we have to listen to the committee because they're smarter than us'.

 

[Absolutego]

They are really, really out of ideas. Borderlands, Tomb Raider, Fallout, possibly even a Gears of War movie... why now? Why not years and years ago when any of those franchises were culturally relevant? The only answer I can think of is that they are either extremely risk-averse or they are getting these IPs at fire-sale prices. They (producers) want something with a built-in fanbase and a guarantee that a certain number of seats will have asses in them.

The Super Mario brothers movie made over a billion dollars at the box office, that's why, at least for movies. For TV, the Last of Us was HBO's biggest success story since Game of Thrones.
It's a follow-the-leader industry. But they already made a forgettable Tomb Raider movie based off of the Crystal Dynamics games like six years ago and will probably make the same mistakes that movie made with the TV series, knowing Amazon. Every streaming success they've had was in spite of the studio.

 

[X Prime]

"But why do they make them suck, then?" Just because you can envision creating a thing doesn't mean you have the skills to actually do it.

This is being too charitable.

It's not a question of technical skills, those have almost never been better. The problem is urban bugmen. They may have the technical skill but their imaginations are twisted, warped, stunted.

 

[BulkForceFive]

This is being too charitable.

It's not a question of technical skills, those have almost never been better. The problem is urban bugmen. They may have the technical skill but their imaginations are twisted, warped, stunted.

That's the skill I'm talking about. Writing is crippled by modern politics and sensibilities. You cannot have a story where a well-meaning but bumbling and out-of-touch British lord tracks down someone who murdered his maid, whether serious or slapstick, because in this case you MUST have the rich person be evil. You cannot have a war movie, except WW1 settings, where American soldiers are anything but ruthless criminals or selfless heros, depending on who they're fighting. You can't write a good blockbuster script because you have to juggle having a white male lead to draw in theatregoers with having the women and POC sidekicks be smarter, cooler and funnier than him. You can escape this if you're making a niche movie about vikings or samurai or whatever but then your audience - and funding- is limited.

 

[X Prime]

That's the skill I'm talking about. Writing is crippled by modern politics and sensibilities. You cannot have a story where a well-meaning but bumbling and out-of-touch British lord tracks down someone who murdered his maid, whether serious or slapstick, because in this case you MUST have the rich person be evil. You cannot have a war movie, except WW1 settings, where American soldiers are anything but ruthless criminals or selfless heros, depending on who they're fighting. You can't write a good blockbuster script because you have to juggle having a white male lead to draw in theatregoers with having the women and POC sidekicks be smarter, cooler and funnier than him. You can escape this if you're making a niche movie about vikings or samurai or whatever but then your audience - and funding- is limited.

Right, but here's the thing: the way you're phrasing this allows for the interpretation that urban bugmen would make those movies if they were allowed to.

They're for the most part not interested. They think the shit they put out of their proverbial assholes is high art.

The first move to fixing this problem is to pray for the Big One to come swiftly, without warning, and without mercy for the poor Pacific Ocean that has to put up with all that refuse getting dumped into it.

 

[khaine]

This bitch must give the most incredible head because she is completely without talent and utterly unattractive but keeps getting work.

She willingly takes it up the arse

 

[blablabla]

what nigger tranny are they going to cast as lara?

 

[Mac Monster]

Looks like the Angelina Jolie movie will remain the best Tomb Raider adaption for the foreseeable future.

 

[verissimus]

I'm much less bothered by her involvement than this:


Whatever vision and ideas she or anyone else has will ultimately be subsumed into yet another to-be-aborted copy of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Hollywood's obsession with video game adaptions begins...

 

[Ser Prize]

Nahh that'll be her Gunsmithess who will be disabled, trans, BIPOC with green hair, tatoos, and support BLM and call Lara a "colonizing racist" all while making firearms to kill people with.
His name will be Benji

Nah, probably gonna have this character from that shitty Tomb Raider TTRPG.

Cartoon Lara Croft should have cartoon jugs. Live-action or photorealistic Lara Croft should have the (young, hot, athletic, not woke) actress' normal, natural tits.

Lara Croft should be played by a bombshell actress. Screw 'realism'.

 

[Amber the Hedgehog]

I thought the first Angelina Jolie film wasn't bad, if you accept it's pinnacle early 2000s cheese.
View attachment 5991133

While I otherwise didn't care Jolie in the role, she genuinely looks the part. She has the right lips and mildly masculine jawline like the 3D model. Also nice body. I'm not a straight guy but she has managed to bag multiple of those despite being absolutely bongers and highly abusive so she is clearly doing something right there.

Seriously though, what is needed for the role is someone like is a professional acrobat. Lara has very distinctive way of moving that should come across even in talking scenes and definitely in action scenes that should take majority of the screen time. She not a talker, she a doer. She needs an actress that can show off what she is, an action platformer character.

Other reason I doubt this going to work is just the current cultural environment in entertainment industry. Beyond fun gameplay and Lara as a charismatic lead the tomb rader games had very certain type of environment porn going for it. Exotic locations from around world and all the cool clichés of those cultures had to offer. History inspired tombs, gangsters and other criminals, dangerous animals, environmental hazards and mythology magic, all cranked up to 80's action movie mode. It's not a deep or particularly accurate but it's fun and inspiring. All that's considered racist and white supermist now.

 

[Cuckoman]

I matched up with a cute gal on a dating app and she said Fleabag was her favorite show. Saw a few episodes and I'm glad I dodged that red flag. Phoebe Waller left the Mr. and Mrs. Smith show over "creative differences" with Donald Glover, so you know that she likes having complete control and doesn't play well with others. I guess this version of Lara will be similar to her character in that Indy Jones flick.

I look forward to TheCriticalDrinkers review of it when it launches.

 

[I'm Retarded?]

Nah, probably gonna have this character from that shitty Tomb Raider TTRPG.

what the fuck is that LMFAO

why not complete the diversitymaxx and give xyr prosthetic arms too, add 500 lbs and put her in a power scooter, hell, yeet the teets and add top surgery scars, HRT acne and hair loss, and Down syndrome to boot

 

[Ser Prize]

what the fuck is that LMFAO

why not complete the diversitymaxx and give xyr prosthetic arms too, add 500 lbs and put her in a power scooter, hell, yeet the teets and add top surgery scars, HRT acne and hair loss, and Down syndrome to boot

I'm reasonably sure another playable character from that game is a pooner so they got that covered.

 

[jershs compensation beard]

Pheobe Waller Bridge is in charge of this? So Lara Croft will be written as an unlikable whore who makes bad decisions and the whole time the show will tell us she is attractive despite the actress playing her looking like a male praying mantis in drag. Have I summed it up accurately?