Amazon MGM Studios head Jennifer Salke provided an update on the company’s live-action Tomb Raider project that is being helmed by Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge.
New York, NY – 1/21/24 – Jennifer Salke (Head of Amazon MGM Studios) and Nicole Kidman attends the Expats Premiere Screening in New York. -After Party
-PICTURED: Jennifer Salke (Head of Amazon MGM Studios) and Nicole Kidman
-PHOTO by: Marion Curtis / StarPix for Amazon MGM Studios
-Location: MoMa
Speaking with Variety, Salke said, “Tomb Raider” is really exciting and Phoebe is well into it and working in close partnership with [“Tomb Raider” general manager] Dallas Dickinson and the game producers, and it’s going to be very exciting.”
However, she concluded, “But I don’t have any [new updates].”
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 15: (L-R) Vernon Sanders, Head of Global TV of Amazon Studios, and Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon Studios attends “The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power” Los Angeles Red Carpet Premiere & Screening on August 15, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Prime Video)
Salke’s comments come in the wake of speculation from Hollywood insiders that the project would not come to fruition.
Lesley Goldberg at Puck reported, “Amazon is now searching for a star to play Lara Croft in a live-action Tomb Raider series written by Waller-Bridge that has many insiders placing bets on whether it will ever come to fruition.”
One insider allegedly told the outlet, “That’s a deal for saving face.”
Helena (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) in Lucasfilm’s INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY. ©.
Amazon MGM Studios announced it was bringing Phoebe Waller-Bridge on board to write and executive produce the show in the wake of Indiana Jones and the Dial Destiny bombing at box officers, where she played Helena Shaw.
In a press release in May the company announced, “Today, at its inaugural upfront presentation, Prime Video announced that it has ordered a Tomb Raider series with Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag) set as writer and executive producer. The series is based on the iconic Tomb Raider video game franchise, which follows the adventures of world-famous archaeologist and adventurer Lara Croft.”
It added, “The project comes as part of a deal between Crystal Dynamics and Amazon MGM Studios, originating through dj2’s first-look deal with the studio, to develop additional Tomb Raider stories into series and films. Tomb Raider will premiere exclusively on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.”
(L-R): Doctor Jürgen Voller (Mads Mikkelsen, standing), Helena (Phoebe Waller-Bridge) and Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) in Lucasfilm’s INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY. ©2023 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved.
READ: ‘Tomb Raider’ Fans Torch Netflix’s Latest Teaser Trailer For ‘Tomb Raider The Legend Of Lara Croft’
Waller-Bridge commented on the announcement, “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.”
A screenshot from Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered (2025), Aspyr Media
Salke said at the time, “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,” she said.
Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft (2024), Aspyr, Crystal Dynamics
Head of Studio at Crystal Dynamics Scot Amos also stated, “Amazon MGM Studios and Amazon Games are incredible collaborators with a massive reach across the globe enabling us to expand our Tomb Raider franchise with multiple new adventures and a shared passion for creating impactful, entertaining, emotional experiences for players and viewers throughout every facet of this universe.”
“These timeless stories span all media platforms to meet audiences where they want to engage with Tomb Raider; it’s a critical step towards our future with fans everywhere,” he added.
Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft (2024), Aspyr, Crystal Dynamics
The Tomb Raider franchise is on rocky ground with many fans rejecting new installments that have been subjected to Hollywood’s wokeification. The most recent example is Netflix’s Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft where they radically altered Croft’s character design and even made the character of Zip, who was previously a ladies man into a flamboyant homosexual.
The show has not been well received. It has a 5.6 out of 10 on IMDb with over a quarter of all reviews being a 1 out of 10.
Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft IMDb reviews
It is quite likely Waller-Bridge’s version if it does come to fruition will have a healthy dose of woke ideology given Waller-Bridge is an admitted feminist.
She told the BBC that she would trade five years of her life for the so-called perfect body, “I would’ve been the girl with the hand up, I would’ve been like hell yes, and then thinking that was honest, and thinking that’s empowering because it’s honest and yet feeling at the same time that it’s letting the side down and not really knowing what the rules were, but then caring so deeply about women and equality and the basic principles of feminism.”
She continued, “And then slightly being frightened by the nuances and that there are traps out there. And I still feel like that. Even when I get asked about it, my heart starts beating a little faster because I know that there are mines that you can step on, and I think I’ll probably always have that.”
LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 07: Phoebe Waller-Bridge attends the Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny presentation during the studio panel at Star Wars Celebration 2023 in London at ExCel on April 07, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Jeff Spicer/Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for Disney)
What do you make of Salke’s update on the Tomb Raider series?
NEXT: Lara Croft’s Biggest “Disappointment” Gets Second-Life With ‘Tomb Raider IV–VI Remastered’
