The legacy of Lara Croft is steadily shaping up for the small screen, and she’s got some company along for the ride. Amazon Prime Video has announced the latest cast additions for its upcoming live-action Tomb Raider series starring Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner, which includes a few big names.
First on the list is Sigourney Weaver, previously reported to be in talks for a role in the project. The Alien actor will portray Evelyn Wallis, an original character described as a “mysterious, high-flying woman who is keen to exploit Lara’s talents,” joined by Lucius Malfoy star Jason Isaacs (Harry Potter) as Croft’s uncle, Atlas DeMornay — a familiar face to franchise fans.
Two other canon roles have also been cast, with Bill Paterson (Lord Lyman Beesbury in House of the Dragon) and Martin Bobb-Semple (One of Us Is Lying) set to play Winston, the Croft family’s longtime butler, and Zip, Lara’s right-hand tech support and close friend, respectively.
The other newcomers confirmed for series-exclusive roles are as follows:
- Jack Bannon is Gerry, Lara’s personal pilot and snack collector.
- John Heffernan is David, an exhausted government official who finds himself tangled up in Lara’s unusual world.
- Celia Imrie is Francine, the head of advancement at the British Museum, focused solely on raising funds and glasses of champagne.
- Paterson Joseph is Thomas Warner, a senior government official brought in to clean up an almighty mess.
- Sasha Luss is Sasha, a fierce, deeply competitive new adversary of Lara’s.
- Juliette Motamed is Georgia, a devoted, by-the-books curator at the British Museum, dedicated to the “proper” preservation of history.
- August Wittgenstein is Lukas, an illegal raider who shares history with Lara in more ways than one.
“I’ve been a long-time fan of Tomb Raider and the character of Lara. She has always felt for me, very emboldened in a male-dominated world,” Turner said in a statement. “She’s a fierce female role model!”
The Tomb Raider TV adaptation has been in gestation since 2023, with Prime Video placing a series order for it in May 2024. Fleabag’s Phoebe Waller-Bridge serves as creator, executive producer, and co-showrunner alongside Chad Hodge, while Jonathan Van Tulleken (Shōgun) is set to direct and executive produce. Joining Amazon MGM Studios on the producing front are Story Kitchen and Crystal Dynamics, which also developed the Tomb Raider game franchise.
The show has no release date, but filming is expected to begin this month. While story details remain sparse, it seeks to “reinvent the franchise on a massive scale” through an interconnected universe that ties into the video games.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Kevin Low
