Amazon has officially confirmed that Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner will play Lara Croft in its live-action Tomb Raider series. The long-gestating project, created by Fleabag‘s Phoebe Waller-Bridge for Prime Video, is now set to begin production on January 19, 2026.
The announcement, first confirmed to Variety, ends months of speculation and puts to rest reports from earlier this year that the series was “dead”. Waller-Bridge will serve as co-showrunner alongside Chad Hodge (Wayward Pines), with Jonathan van Tulleken (Shōgun) attached to direct and executive produce. Turner’s involvement was first reported as a near-certainty in November 2024.
“I am thrilled beyond measure, to be playing Lara Croft,” Turner said in a statement. “They’re massive shoes to fill, following in the steps of Angelina and Alicia with their powerhouse performances, but with Phoebe at the helm, we (and Lara) are all in very safe hands.” Waller-Bridge added, “It’s not very often you get to make a show of this scale with a character you grew up loving… Croft is coming…”
The series is part of a major push by Amazon into video game adaptations, following the success of its Fallout series and with a God of War show also in development. The Tomb Raider show was first reported to be in development in January 2023 and officially greenlit in May 2024 under a pact between Amazon MGM Studios and game developer Crystal Dynamics.
Sources
- Variety: ‘Tomb Raider’ Live-Action Series at Amazon to Begin Filming in 2026, Sophie Turner Confirmed to Star
- PC Gamer: Amazon’s live-action Tomb Raider series names Game of Thrones actor Sophie Turner as its new Lara Croft
- Deadline: Prime Video’s ‘Tomb Raider’ Series Starring Sophie Turner & Created By Phoebe Waller-Bridge Sets Chad Hodge As Co-Showrunner, Gets Production Start Date
- The Verge: Fallout is the faithful, fun-as-hell video game adaptation you’ve been waiting for
- The Verge: Amazon’s God of War series is ‘going back to the drawing board’
- Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Tomb Raider series is finally happening at Amazon
