Tomb Raiderhas had several TV and movie adaptations in the past — while some are faithful adaptations that demand attention, others are not worthy additions to the overarching franchise. TheTomb Raiderfranchise has been around for over two decades, and, even though it is best known for action-adventure video games, it has successfully expanded into other storytelling mediums. From film adaptations to comic books, from animated TV shows to novels, theTomb Raiderlore is spread across many different platforms.
Even though not all extensions of the franchise have performed equally well, they have together contributed to evolving the rich tapestry of Lara Croft’s universe. Even to this day, theTomb Raider franchisecontinues to grow in myriad mediums, paving the way for otherTomb Raidermovies, television shows, and even games to emerge in the near future. However, before new TV and movieTomb Raideradaptations can hit the big and small screens, audiences already have several existing ones to choose from.
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
Cast
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, directed by Simon West, stars Angelina Jolie as the titular character. Released in 2001, the film follows the skilled archaeologist and adventurer Lara Croft as she seeks to recover powerful ancient artifacts while battling enemies who wish to harness their power for nefarious purposes. The movie combines elements of action and adventure, showcasing Jolie’s portrayal of the iconic video game heroine.
Starring Angelina Jolie as the titular character,Lara Croft: Tomb Raiderprimarily received negative reviews from viewers and critics. The movie stillholds an underwhelming Rotten Tomatoes critics' score of 20% and an audience rating of 47%. However, despite being panned by critics,Lara Croft: Tomb Raiderperformed fairly well at the box office. Against a budget of $115 million, it grossed $274.7 million worldwide, ranking it among the highest grossing video game adaptations of all time.
…despite its commercial success, it is hard not to seeLara Croft: Tomb Raideras one of the most disappointing adaptations of the games because it offers nothing more than a few memorable action sequences and set pieces.
Owing to its box office success,Lara Croft: Tomb Raiderdeserves some credit for introducing a compelling female lead to the action-adventure genre. Angelina Jolie, too, did an incredible job of capturing the badass character’s charisma and physicality, allowing both new audiences and the ones familiar with the games to embrace the franchise. However, despite its commercial success, it is hard not to seeLara Croft: Tomb Raideras one of the most disappointing adaptations of the games because it offers nothing more than a few memorable action sequences and set pieces.
Serving as a direct sequel to 2001’sLara Croft: Tomb Raider,Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Lifemarked Angelina Jolie’s return as the badass character. Surprisingly,the film had a far better critical reception than its predecessorbecause even though it failed to have a coherent narrative, it upped the ante with its action sequences. In the sequel, Angelina Jolie’s performance, too, convinces the viewer that she embodies the character from the games with the required intensity and depth.
Jon Vough, who is Angelina Jolie’s real father, plays Lara Croft’s father in the movie series.
Unfortunately, despite being more entertaining than its predecessor,Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Lifefailed to become anything more than a typical popcorn action flick. This might explain why even its box office numbers were way lower than expected, grossing close to $160 million against a budget of $95 million.Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life’s disappointing box office numbers ultimately ended the movie series for good, encouraging Jolie to abandon a planned sequel.
Tomb Raider
Tomb Raider features Alicia Vikander as Lara Croft, a young woman who embarks on a perilous journey to her father’s last-known destination, a mysterious island. The film, directed by Roar Uthaug, presents Lara’s transformation from an independent, adventurous spirit into a resilient, skilled adventurer, determined to uncover the secrets of her father’s disappearance while tackling treacherous adversaries and ancient puzzles.
Directed by Roar Uthaug, 2018’sTomb Raiderlive-action reboot proved to be better than the original Angelina Jolie movies because of its ability to stay incredibly loyal to the games. Unlike its predecessors, the reboot was also a breath of fresh air becauseit focused less on objectifying Lara Croftand portrayed her as a multidimensional character with relatable motivations and vulnerabilities. Academy Award-winning actress, Alicia Vikander, also perfectly embodied Lara Croft by striking the perfect balance between sensitivity and strength.
ATomb Raiderlive-action movie reboothas been ordered by Prime Video.Fleabagcreator Phoebe Waller-Bridge is reportedly its writer and executive producer.
However, despite marking the inception of a promising reboot series, 2018’sTomb Raiderreceived mixed reviews. While its mixed reception was far better than its predecessors' largely negative critiques, many complained that it fell short of reaching its true potential. Even at the box office,Tomb Raidergrossed $274 million worldwide, preventing it from missing its break even by a narrow margin. The movie’s sequel was initially rumored to be in the works but never saw the light of day.
Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft
This animated series follows the iconic tomb-raider Lara Croft as she embarks on thrilling adventures, exploring ancient civilizations and uncovering hidden secrets. Balancing intellect and physical prowess, Lara navigates treacherous environments and encounters formidable adversaries, all while striving to protect the world’s archaeological treasures.
AlthoughTomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croftonly scratches the surface of Lara’s extensive lore despite having an eight-episode runtime, it sets a strong foundation for the series' future seasons. By going back and forth between Lara Croft’s past and present, the show effectively develops the character andallows viewers to get a good understanding of her motivations and struggles. At the same, unlike most screen adaptations of the games,Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croftalso gives enough screen time to side characters like Kip, Camilla, and Jonah.
Tomb Raider: The Legend Of Lara Croft Voice Cast & Character Guide
Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft has more than a few iconic and beloved characters, and the animated show has cast them perfectly.
When it comes to storytelling,Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croftis not groundbreaking in any way as it borrows many familiar narrative elements from the games and previous screen adaptations. However, what allows it to etch its own identity in the overarching franchise is its emphasis on bringing new emotional depth to Lara Croft’s backstory. Not to mention, it also seems more imaginative and expansive with its exploration of mythological fantasy.
The Future Of The Tomb Radier Franchise
2024’sTomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croftwas, all things considered, a successful attempt to bring Lara Croft to screens without a controller. However, the live-actionTomb Raidermovies haven’t been anywhere nearly as well received, with the big-screen incarnation of the hit video-game franchise finding nowhere near the levels of success studios had hoped for. From the canceled sequel to 2018’sTomb Raiderthrough to the abandoned threequel to Angelina Jolie’sTomb Raider,Lara Croft’s live-action adventures have inarugably failed to live up to the potential of the source material. However, that doesn’t mean Hollywood has given up on trying to turn Tomb Raider into a successful cinematic series.
Lara Croft is already set for her next live-action adventure, only this time it will be in the form of a TV series. Amazon is working withFleabagandIndiana Jones And The Dial Of Destinystar Phoebe Waller-Bridge on aTomb RaiderTV show, with several details already having emerged. Waller-Bridge won’t be playing Lara Croft, but will be writing and producing.TheTomb RaiderTV show was announcedback in 2023, and the long development time is a positive sign, since it means Amazon isn’t rushing adapting source material with the potential to be one of their most successful exclusives so far (especially after the hit theFalloutadaptation came to be).
As for the cast,Game of Thronesstar Sophie Turneris reportedly in talks to play the latest live-action Lara Croft after Angelina Jolie and Alicia Vikander. Few details are known when it comes to the plot, but Amazon and Waller-Bridge both have hinted at a global adventure in many interviews, which would mean the latest live-action Lara Croft visiting as many locations as her pixellated inspiration from theTomb Raidergames - though, at time of writing,the Amazon seriesdoesn’t have a release date.
