A new rumor alleges that Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Amazon MGM Studios’ planned Tomb Raider series is “dead.”
This latest rumor comes from Alison Boshoff at The Daily Mail. She shared, “Sources say the idea of bringing Lara Croft to the small screen is 'dead.’”
Another source reportedly told her, “I hear that it is not going ahead.”
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The show appeared to be on rocky grounds already with a number of reports indicating it might never come to fruition. At the end of March, Puck’s Matthew Belloni shared that Phoebe Waller-Bridge and her team had been given “tens of millions of dollars and 2 writers rooms … and there’s still no script.”
He also noted over at Puck that Waller-Bridge had originally been given a $20 million-a-year deal by former Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke back in 2019 and the deal was renewed after its three years expired despite Waller-Bridge not producing anything.
However, following that report he shared another one that Amazon MGM Studios had renegotiated its deal with Waller-Bridge “to a nonexclusive first look deal… for significantly less money.”
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Before these reports, Lesley Goldberg at Puck shared that the show was on rocky ground and many Hollywood insiders believed it would never come to fruition. She reported in August 2024, “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.”
Jennifer Salke attempted to tame those rumors in October telling Variety, “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].”
The Tomb Raider series was originally announced back in May 2024 with a press release stating, “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.”
Waller-Bridge commented on the announcement at the time, “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.”
If the series is indeed being scrapped it might be a sign that Amazon MGM Studios is truly moving in a new direction and might even be following the advice of the company’s founder Roy Price who called for Amazon to redevelop all projects that were tainted with Salke’s attitude and ideology.
He said, “All these shows are being developed (or redeveloped) from scratch.”
What do you make of this rumor?
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