Sophie Turner's casting as Lara Croft in the upcoming Tomb Raider series for Prime Video initially shocked fans, but her impressive transformation silenced doubts after her first look appeared in January. Now, the show faces uncertainty due to a persistent injury. Here’s what’s allegedly been happening with her behind the scenes.
Per reporting from The Sun, Turner threw herself into intense training to prepare for the role, sometimes for up to 8 hours a day. It was during this time that she discovered she had, as she described it, “a perpetual back problem” and recently retriggered the injury, throwing the production into disarray. A source close to the situation explained:
Sophie has been throwing herself into the role, but the gruelling physicality of being Lara Croft has meant she has pushed her body too far.
According to the report, the Game of Thrones alum will need to recuperate for at least a month, with fears that she could be out as long as six months. Allegedly, top brass have been talking about replacing the actress, but believe it would be too difficult and costly, as much of it has already been filmed with Turner. Per the insider:
Article continues belowMany on set fear Sophie may have to be replaced altogether now, as she may not bounce back in time… but so much has already been shot that it's causing a real headache for producers.
The HBO breakout star, now 30 and mother of two, is taking up the mantle of the legendary PlayStation explorer, having been played by Angelina Jolie and Alicia Vikander in previous video game movie adaptations. Phoebe Waller-Bridge, creator of Fleabag, has written and produced the show, which added Sigourney Weaver and Jason Isaacs to its supporting cast.
This news is particularly upsetting given how excited Sophie Turner has seemed about taking on the role of Lara Croft. In recent interviews, she’s talked about transforming her body for the part with a personal trainer and even jokingly telling Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon that she felt like she “could beat you up right now.” Which was pretty believable, as we saw in the promo images released, she was sporting the video-game-accurate outfit that accentuated just how ripped her arms look these days. And, yeah, Fallon didn’t have as hot a time if he'd felt the urge to put him in a full nelson.
We still don’t know much about the Sansa Stark performer’s condition or its impact on the show’s future. Personally, if she is replaced, I’d find that almost more upsetting than the series being scrapped. Given the prestige of the upcoming video game adaptation and early looks, I hope neither happens. Here’s hoping Turner recovers soon and production resumes quickly.
Tomb Raider, presumably available with an Amazon Prime subscription if and when it’s released, does not have an official release date, though it was expected to drop sometime in early 2027. But now that the series’s future is in question, we will have to wait and see whether it makes that timeline or is scrapped.
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