Inside Phoebe Waller-Bridge's new 'Tomb Raider' reboot

Alicia Vikander, who portrayed Lara Croft in the 2018 film, expressed sadness over being unable to return to the role. The new project, produced by Phoebe Waller-Bridge under her $20 million per year contract with Amazon, led to the decision to hold a new casting call.

According to the Independent, producers are planning to cast Sophie Turner, known for her role as Sansa Stark in Game of Thrones, and Lucy Boynton, who appeared in Sing Street and Bohemian Rhapsody. Previously, the list also included Emma Corrin ("The Crown") and Mackenzie Davis ("Don’t Worry Darling").

Vikander, who earned critical acclaim for her portrayal of Lara Croft, was set to return in a sequel. However, the project was halted after MGM lost the rights to "Tomb Raider." The actress admitted in an interview with the Independent: "Of course I would have come back to that role. I had a lot of fun."

Phoebe Waller-Bridge, known for the success of the series "Fleabag," expressed great excitement about working on the new project. Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon Studios, spoke highly of her: "She is clever, brilliant, generous and a virtuoso on multiple fronts including writing, acting and producing."

Although Waller-Bridge has not yet achieved production success at Amazon—with her involvement in the series "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" with Donald Glover ending due to creative differences—Vernon Sanders, head of television at Amazon Studios, assures: "When she does deliver, she delivers."

The character of Lara Croft originates from the game "Tomb Raider." Lara is an archaeologist introduced to the world in 1996 with the aforementioned game. She comes from a wealthy family but prefers dangerous expeditions and discovering new places worldwide. Three feature films have been made based on the games. In the first two, "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" and "Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life," Angelina Jolie played the lead. In the third, Alicia Vikander took on the role.