Sophie Turner to play Lara Croft in Tomb Raider series - BBC

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**beast_gts**

Sophie Turner to play Lara Croft in Tomb Raider series

Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner will play Lara Croft in the upcoming Prime Video TV series Tomb Raider, it was announced on Thursday.

The show has been created and written by fellow Brit, Fleabag creator and star Phoebe Waller-Bridge - marking the first major work to come out of her big Amazon deal announced back in 2019.

Tomb Raider is based on the computer game about the famous fictional adventurer and archaeologist Lara Croft, previously portayed on the big screen by Angelina Jolie and Alicia Vikander.

Turner said she was "thrilled beyond measure" to take on the role. "She's such an iconic character, who means so much to so many - and I am giving everything I've got."

The star, who shot to fame as Sansa Stark in the HBO fantasy epic before appearing as Jean Grey in the X-Men film series, added: "They're massive shoes to fill, following in the steps of Angelina and Alicia with their powerhouse performances, but with Phoebe at the helm, we (and Lara) are all in very safe hands.

"I can't wait for you all to see what we have cooking."

'Grew up loving'
Waller-Bridge previously adapted the first series of Killing Eve and was drafted on to the James Bond writing team, saying at the time she added "little spices", and "tweaks across a few of the characters".

She said six years ago she was "delighted" and "insanely excited" to be making Amazon her creative home.

Now she said she is excited to work with the "formidable" Turner on Tomb Raider and a "phenomenal creative team" which includes fellow co-showrunner Chad Hodge (Wayward Pines and Good Behavior) and director Jonathan Van Tulleken (Shōgun and The Changeling).

"It's not very often you get to make a show of this scale with a character you grew up loving," she added.

"Everyone on board is wildly passionate about Lara and are all as outrageous, brave, and hilarious as she is.

"Get your artifacts out... Croft is coming."

Vernon Sanders, head of global television for Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, described the character - created in 1996 by a team at British developer Core Design - as "one of the most recognisable and iconic video game characters of all time".

Amazon MGM Studios confirmed the production would start in January next year.

**Inquisitor Gideon**

Dear God, please let it be based around the Ps 1-3 era and not the godawful reboot.

**Mad Doc Grotsnik**

Hmmm.

I’ll be honest. And this isn’t meant to be nasty. But other than her stint as Sansa, particularly in the later series when the character herself got some oomph? I’ve never been terribly taken with her acting.

Mind you, she was in the dreadful X-Men films, and she was far from the only or even main problem there.

I can see her as Lara Croft. But as a Tomb Raider? I guess time will tell.

**Lathe Biosas**

Wow this will be amazing.

No other actress is able to pull off the look of utter disdain and boredom like Sophie Turner.

I assume she was selected due to her ability to stand stock still like Lara Croft does when I go make a sandwich and forget to pause the game.

**Flinty**

Will she get drowned? Because sometimes you just need to drown things.

**Ahtman**

Sure, why not.

**Mad Doc Grotsnik**

Flinty wrote:
Will she get drowned? Because sometimes you just need to drown things.

I got that reference!

**ccs**

Ill set my expectations low for this one & hope for the best.

**trexmeyer**

This won't be a body issue.
Sophie has gotten leaner than 90% of actresses.
Her proportions are extremely good for this sort of role. Her femur to spine is fairly close to 1:1. She's definitely more torso than leg, but not distractingly so.

**Lathe Biosas**

trexmeyer wrote:
This won't be a body issue.
Sophie has gotten leaner than 90% of actresses.
Her proportions are extremely good for this sort of role. Her femur to spine is fairly close to 1:1. She's definitely more torso than leg, but not distractingly so.

She does have nice abs. But that doesn't help her vacant acting style that makes Kristen Stewart seem like an Academy Award winning actress.

**Grimskul**

I'm pretty sure this is not going to be good on several different levels.

1. In today's climate for movies, I doubt they're going to go the classic Tomb Raider route in terms of story. (.e.g look at the cringe writing for a lot of the more recent Lara Croft takes, basically moving her from a badass treasure hunter to someone who has to awkwardly say that taking cultural artifacts is appropriation and imperialism while staring blankly at the player).

2. Sophie Turner as an actress is as wooden as they come, given how bleh she was in the X-men movies and her roles in general prior to that, I don't see her doing very well in a leading role that's meant to be charismatic and action-oriented.

**Mad Doc Grotsnik**

On her acting?

She had genuinely solid moments in GoT, especially when Sansa became Queen in the North.

It could be she’s the sort of actor that needs the right director to bring out their best.

**MarkNorfolk**

Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
On her acting?

She had genuinely solid moments in GoT, especially when Sansa became Queen in the North.

It could be she’s the sort of actor that needs the right director to bring out their best.

I only saw one episode, but she seemed to do a good job in Joan the ITV series about a 1980’s era jewel thief.

**Lathe Biosas**

Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
On her acting?

She had genuinely solid moments in GoT, especially when Sansa became Queen in the North.

It could be she’s the sort of actor that needs the right director to bring out their best.

If this mythical director didn't exist for the X-Men films, I doubt they'll appear directing a Tomb Raider movie.

**trexmeyer**

Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
On her acting?

She had genuinely solid moments in GoT, especially when Sansa became Queen in the North.

It could be she’s the sort of actor that needs the right director to bring out their best.

I think she has tremendous potential and just needs the right direction. She was excellent in the early seasons of GoT and only faltered notably in the last years, where everyone was 'bad'. She wasn't good in the X-Men films, but was anyone 'good' in the ones she appeared in? They somehow made multiple talented actors and actresses forgettable.

She has the perfect height, frame, and structure for a role that focuses on movement and athleticism.

**Grey Templar**

Agreed. She may be a wooden actress, but she is at least generically competent.

Directing and Writing is what will make or break Tomb Raider. You have to be a very very very bad actor to mess up good writing and directing. The best actor in the world can't save a film from bad writing or directing.

Sadly, the number of good writers and directors in Hollywood can be counted on one hand these days.

Lathe Biosas wrote:
Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
On her acting?

She had genuinely solid moments in GoT, especially when Sansa became Queen in the North.

It could be she’s the sort of actor that needs the right director to bring out their best.

If this mythical director didn't exist for the X-Men films, I doubt they'll appear directing a Tomb Raider movie.

X-men is a cursed franchise so you can hardly hold Tomb Raider being smaller against it. But you are probably right.

**Mad Doc Grotsnik**

She gets a rough press for early Sansa, as people saw her as a wet blanket.

But….thats Sansa. Thats the point of Sansa. The proverbial Sweet Summer Child that wants to be a Fine Lady, married to Joffrey and become Queen. That’s the life she expected.

So….of course Sansa is a wet hen. She’s lead a sheltered, privileged life. And then it’s all torn away and she becomes a political football. And she still turns out to be made of iron.

**Grey Templar**

Yeah, she was perfect for Sansa. Unironically one of the better characters that GRRM wrote. Not a hard bar to clear but gotta give credit where credit is due.

**Mad Doc Grotsnik**

She’s one of the more interesting character portrayals when watched in retrospect.

Her development as a character is kinda slow. But when she decides “yeah, I refuse to be a pawn anymore”? You go back and watch all the horrific things she’s experienced and had inflicted on her? And you can see little sparks of defiance. It feels like a real character journey.

It was overshadowed somewhat by Maisie Williams’ Arya. Not crapping on Sophie Turner, but Maisie Williams not only got a more coherent, focussed and badass journey for Arya, but she is the better actress.

But she portrayed Sansa really, really well.

**Grey Templar**

She was definitely a slow burn, but it paid off. Wish they'd pulled it off with the rest of the series

**Mad Doc Grotsnik**

True.

I still rate her “how do you plead……Lord Baylish” as a highlight of the entire show. Especially what follows in her lines.

Just…cracking stuff.

Hence I feel with the right director? She should be fine here.

**Lathe Biosas**

Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
True.

I still rate her “how do you plead……Lord Baylish” as a highlight of the entire show. Especially what follows in her lines.

Just…cracking stuff.

Hence I feel with the right director? She should be fine here.

What are the odds the movie pulls the right director?

**Mad Doc Grotsnik**

Doesn’t need to be the “right” director. Just one who know how, and is willing, to get the best out of their cast.

**Mr Morden**

Inquisitor Gideon wrote:
Dear God, please let it be based around the Ps 1-3 era and not the godawful reboot.

Seconded - I want confident sassy Lara with guns in the movie.

Sophie Turner could be good - likely depends more on the story, script and director.

**Lathe Biosas**

Alicia Vikaander version wasn't bad... I liked it better than the Daniel Craig one (yes, he was in one of the Angelina Jolie films).

**Geifer**

Lathe Biosas wrote:
Alicia Vikaander version wasn't bad... I liked it better than the Daniel Craig one (yes, he was in one of the Angelina Jolie films).

Same. I'd put it down to better writing.

No idea which Lara was more accurate to the games. I didn't make it two minutes into the demo of the first one...

**LordofHats**

I feel like Laura is one of those characters whose personality is ultimately pretty flexible given that most adaptations and sequels have not been entirely consistent about it.

**Inquisitor Gideon**

No, she's been pretty damn consistant up until the reboot. Confident, knowledgable and predominatly a loner. If anything, it was only after the movie that she got an extended cast.

**LordofHats**

Sounds incredibly flexible to me.

The vaguer a character's traits, the more you can mess with them.

**Inquisitor Gideon**

Not if you actually play the games, she's pretty defined in how she behaves and her attitude.