Tomb Raider Series to Begin Filming in January 2026

According to CinemaDrame News Agency, the live-action series Tomb Raider is moving into production. Amazon Studios has officially confirmed that filming for the adaptation of the video game franchise, starring Sophie Turner as Lara Croft, will begin on January 19, 2026.
The series was greenlit in May 2024, with Turner’s casting announced that November. However, in April this year, PC Gamer reported that the project had been shelved and “would not move forward.” At the time, Amazon declined to comment.
This week, Amazon announced that Chad Hodge will serve as co-showrunner alongside Phoebe Waller-Bridge, creator and star of Fleabag. Jonathan van Tulleken, known for Shōgun, has joined as director.
One of Amazon’s more controversial decisions under former studio head Jennifer Salke was signing a $20 million annual deal with Waller-Bridge in 2019. The agreement, after six years, has not yet resulted in any produced series or films. Waller-Bridge was originally attached to star in and produce Mr. and Mrs. Smith but later exited the project. Salke recently told Variety that the contract was primarily about “holding” the artist, and she does not regret it.
The Game of Thrones actress was among the final contenders for the role alongside Mackenzie Davis (Station Eleven), Emma Mackey (Sex Education), and Lucy Boynton (Bohemian Rhapsody). Turner follows in the footsteps of Angelina Jolie and Alicia Vikander, who portrayed Lara Croft in several films between 2001 and 2018.
The first cinematic adaptation, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001), directed by Simon West and starring Jolie, grossed $274 million worldwide on a $114 million budget. Its sequel, Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (2003), cost $90 million to produce but earned only $152 million. In 2018, the franchise was rebooted with Vikander in the lead, grossing $254 million. Collectively, the films have earned around $680 million globally.
The Tomb Raider series, written and produced by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, will stream on Prime Video.