Lara Croft has been the star of numerous video games, several major Hollywood movies, and is now set to now get the small-screen treatment in a new animated series from Netflix.
So, what kind of adventures will she be having and who will be responsible for bringing them to life? Here’s all we know about the upcoming animated Tomb Raider TV show.
When is the release date for the animated Tomb Raider show?
Netflix only announced the new Tomb Raider series in January 2021, so it could be quite a while before we get to enjoy the new show, as animation is often a long process.
One important factor is that 2021 marks the 25th anniversary of the franchise, with the original Tomb Raider game making its debut on PlayStation back in 1996. So, we’d expect the series developers, Legendary, to be pulling out all the stops to bring Lara to Netflix before the end of the year if at all possible.
The most iconic heroine in video games is jumping to animation! Tomb Raider is a new anime series from @Legendary following Lara Croft after the events of the video-game reboot trilogy.
— Netflix Geeked (@NetflixGeeked) January 27, 2021
Fans of Lara Croft should also note that the film franchise is still active, with Alicia Vikander returning to the role in the follow up to her Tomb Raider movie released in 2018. The Hollywood Reporter revealed in January that Misha Green, creator of Lovecraft Country, has now been signed up to direct the sequel, although again there’s no confirmed release date.
What is the plot of the new Tomb Raider TV show?
As with the release schedule, there’s not much in the way of information available at this time about the storyline for Tomb Raider. What we do know is that the series will pick up after the events of the last video game, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, in which Lara had to avert a global apocalypse triggered by her removing an ancient artifact from an abandoned temple.
This decision was forced upon her, as it was the only way to stop Pedro Dominguez, leader of the shadowy and heavily armed Trinity organisation, getting his hands on the artifact and remaking the entire world in his image. The game was set in various parts of South America and featured Mayan prophecies, magical artifacts, elaborate tomb puzzles to solve, and also explored the tragic death of Lara’s father.
If the anime is a continuation of the game trilogy (which also includes Tomb Raider and Rise of the Tomb Raider), then expect these events to be referenced in the story.
Who are the cast and crew of the new animated Tomb Raider show?
We now have the voice of Lara confirmed – Hayley Atwell, best known for the role of Agent Carter in the MCU and the upcoming film, Mission Impossible 7.
Hayley Atwell is Lara Croft! Netflix’s upcoming TOMB RAIDER anime series from Powerhouse Animation picks up after the event of Square Enix’s video game reboot trilogy, and will follow Atwell’s Lara Croft in her latest, greatest adventure. pic.twitter.com/4NT02YfuOH
— Netflix Geeked (@NetflixGeeked) September 13, 2021
Atwell has already been working on her voice acting chops in Marvel’s What If…?, with Peggy Carter confirmed to return as Captain Britain in season 2 of the show. Therefore, she’s a natural fit for the role.
Aside from Lara Croft there are no details on which other characters will appear in the show. A good bet is the return of Jonah Maiava, the loyal companion that has accompanied Lara through the game trilogy, but aside from him the canvas is pretty much blank.
The job of filling it in will fall to writer and showrunner Tasha Huo, who is already reported by CBR to be in the writers’ room for the upcoming The Witcher: Blood Origins. She’s an in-demand creator at the moment, with iO9 revealing that she will also be the screenwriter for the long overdue Red Sonja movie that’s set to be directed by Joey Soloway, who was responsible for the TV show Transparent.
Where can I watch the Tomb Raider animated series?
As the new Tomb Raider anime is a Netflix Original show, you’ll only be able to watch on the streaming service. Take a look at our guide to which Netflix plan is right for you to see what options are currently available.
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Author: Martyn Casserly, Contributor
Martyn has been involved with tech ever since the arrival of his ZX Spectrum back in the early 80s. He covers iOS, Android, Windows and macOS, writing tutorials, buying guides and reviews for Macworld and its sister site Tech Advisor.