The More I Learn About Amazon Prime's Tomb Raider As An OG Fan, The More Excited I Get

I will never forget the first time I played the original Tomb Raider on my childhood best friend’s step-brother’s Sega Saturn. The complex (for the time) puzzles, the exhilarating action, and all-around badass protagonist that was Lara Croft turned me into an instant fan. Even though I sucked at the game and its various sequels that came out throughout the latter part of the ‘90s, I couldn’t get enough of the franchise.

Now, with Prime Video’s Tomb Raider show being one of the most hotly anticipated video game adaptations in the works, I keep finding myself getting more and more excited about what’s to come. From Sophie Turner looking like a badass out of 1996 to co-showrunner Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s admiration for the franchise to limitless possibilities, I’m all pumped up, to say the least.

Based On That First-Look Image Of Sophie Turner, It Looks Like We’re Going Old-School

For the longest time, I didn’t know if Amazon’s Tomb Raider series would be adapting the OG games or the 2013 reboot series focusing on a younger and less-experienced Lara Croft. While that question hasn’t been answered entirely, I’m starting to think the series will be taking a more old-school route now that Prime Video has dropped a first-look image of Sophie Turner as the iconic video character that was a major part of the zeitgeist back in the ‘90s.

The green tank top, the dual-wielding pistols, those little red circular sunglasses, the haircut, and most of all, the attitude, give off the impression of an experienced archaeologist as she sets out to find long-missing treasures or uncover deep conspiracies. I have nothing against what Crystal Dynamics did with the franchise reset in 2013 (the Alicia Vikander movie loosely based on that entry is a pretty decent video game movie), but this is sending me back!

Phoebe Waller-Bridge Is Longtime Fan Of The Franchise, And I Think She Can Do It Justice

Back before the Tomb Raider show was even confirmed and was seen as nothing more than a dream, I wrote a piece saying Phoebe Waller-Bridge was the person to adapt this legendary video game franchise for the small screen. Nearly two-and-a-half years later, that sentiment still stands.

I mean, everything she’s said about the game that revolutionized the medium 30 years ago this year has let me, and other longtime fans, know that the series is in the right hands. Her work on projects like Fleabag, her script changes to No Time to Die, and her remarkable writing skills will all come in handy here. Plus, she’s obsessed (like super obsessed) with these games, and that’s what we need!

Please Let The Series Take Some Wild Turns Like The Games (Dinosaurs, Dragons, Cults)

Anyone who’s played the Tomb Raider games, especially those older titles, knows that the stories get wild as they progress. What starts as fighting bats, wolves, and bears in a recently discovered cave turns into a fight against dinosaurs, dragons, and cults, to name just a few. I mean, the first game didn’t waste too much time before you were taking on a freaking T-Rex with Lara Croft’s pistols and some strategy.

More crazy stuff followed, making each subsequent game an unpredictable and outrageously fun experience (until the tank controls got in the way). I would love for these zany levels, bosses, and other characteristics from the games to be used in the show. It’d be so much fun to see Sophie Turner, the Queen of the North, kill some zombies or long-extinct creatures.

As you can tell, I cannot wait for the Tomb Raider show to drop. I don’t know if it’ll be on the 2026 TV schedule, but I’ll be watching with my Amazon subscription the day it premieres.