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Big-name cast brings fresh gravity to Lara Croft's world
Amazon Prime Video's live-action Tomb Raider series has just taken a major step forward: veteran stars Sigourney Weaver and Jason Isaacs are confirmed among a growing ensemble that already includes Sophie Turner as Lara Croft. The casting announcement—also revealing Celia Imrie, Bill Paterson, and a number of familiar and new faces—signals that this adaptation intends to balance blockbuster scale with character-driven drama.
Sophie Turner, known for her turn on Game of Thrones and recent film work, becomes the third actress to portray Lara Croft in a live-action screen adaptation, following Angelina Jolie and Alicia Vikander. Turner has described Lara as an enduring symbol of female strength, and producers hope her version will resonate with both longtime gamers and newcomers.
Cast and characters to watch
The new additions are not just name recognition—they map to recognizable figures from Tomb Raider lore. Reported roles include:
- Martin Bobb-Semple as Zip, Lara’s loyal friend and tech support.
- Jason Isaacs as Atlas Demorney, Lara’s uncle.
- Bill Paterson as Winston, the Croft family's longtime steward.
- Celia Imrie as Francine, a fundraising director at the British Museum.
- Jack Bannon as Gerry, Lara’s personal pilot.
- Patterson Joseph as Thomas Warner, a senior government official.
- Sasha Luss as Sasha, a formidable new rival.
- Juliette Motamed as Georgia, a stern British Museum curator.
- August Wittgenstein as Lucas, an illicit looter with shared history with Lara.
- Sigourney Weaver as First Wallace, an enigmatic figure seeking to exploit Lara’s talents.
These roles suggest a story that will mix museum intrigue and governmental stakes with the globe-trotting archaeology, treasure-hunting, and moral ambiguity fans expect from Tomb Raider adaptations.
Creators, production and game roots
The series is developed by Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Chad Hodge as showrunners, while Jonathan van Tulleken—whose recent work includes directing on Shōgun—will direct and serve as executive producer. Production partners include Crystal Dynamics (the game studio behind the 2013 and later reboot games), Story Kitchen, and Amazon MGM Studios, underscoring a clear connection to the source material.
Bringing in Crystal Dynamics signals a desire to honor the narrative and tone of the modern Tomb Raider games—more grounded, character-led, and cinematic than some earlier video-game adaptations.
Where this sits in the trend of video game adaptations
After rising success for series like The Last of Us, streaming platforms are more willing to invest in ambitious video-game adaptations that treat source material with respect. Amazon’s Tomb Raider appears to be following that playbook: high-profile actors, experienced showrunners, and direct collaboration with the game developers.
"This ensemble gives the show both gravitas and nuance," says film critic Anna Kovacs. "Pairing Sophie Turner with actors like Sigourney Weaver and Jason Isaacs suggests the series will emphasize complicated relationships as much as action set pieces."
Beyond casting, fans are already debating tone, fidelity to the games, and how Lara’s evolution will be handled—will this be an origin story, a heist thriller, or a modern archaeological epic? The presence of museum politics and government figures hints at a layered narrative rather than a straightforward adventure.
Trivia: Sophie Turner is the third actress to play Lara Croft in a live-action adaptation—Jolie and Vikander both took differing approaches that shaped public expectations. The new series could redefine the franchise for streaming audiences.
With production officially greenlit in May 2024 after development began in early 2023, Tomb Raider's TV incarnation is shaping up to be one of Amazon Prime Video’s most watched forthcoming dramas. Whether it joins the ranks of successful game-to-screen adaptations will depend on tone, pacing, and how well the series balances spectacle with character.
In short: the cast announcement raises expectations. If early trailers and the creative team's pedigree are any indication, this Tomb Raider could be both reverent to its gaming origins and adventurous in reinventing Lara for a new era.
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