The highly anticipated live-action Tomb Raider series for Prime Video is reportedly “dead,” according to sources from the Daily Mail, signaling a potential end to the project before it ever reached production.
A Long Road to Nowhere
Amazon officially ordered a full season of the Tomb Raider series last May, a project that had been in development since 2019. The show became a major focal point after Fleabag creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge signed a massive three-year, $20 million-a-year deal with the company. Despite the high-profile attachment, reports indicate that just weeks before these cancellation rumors surfaced, the series still lacked a completed script—a concerning milestone four years into development.
This development hurdle follows Waller-Bridge’s high-profile split from the Mr. & Mrs. Smith Amazon series, a project she originally co-developed with Donald Glover. Glover later described their creative separation as a professional “divorce” in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
Casting Woes and Scheduling Conflicts
Beyond the script issues, the production struggled to secure a lead. While Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner was reportedly attached to play Lara Croft as recently as five months ago, her availability has become increasingly complicated. Between February and May 2024, Turner signed on to four different projects, including Haven, another Amazon Prime Video series.
Balancing multiple high-budget roles while stepping into the boots of one of gaming’s most iconic characters proved to be a logistical nightmare. With no script to anchor the production, it appears Tomb Raider quickly slid down the priority list for both the studio and the talent involved.
The Future of the Franchise
As of now, neither Amazon nor Phoebe Waller-Bridge have issued an official statement regarding the show’s status. Interestingly, IMDB continues to list the series as an upcoming project for Sophie Turner. The uncertainty comes at a curious time, as Amazon recently signed a new, lucrative deal with Waller-Bridge just days before the reports of the show’s demise began to circulate.
