As per a recent article, The Hollywood Reporter has claimed that it’s heard from sources that mega-corporation Amazon is looking to build on the Tomb Raider franchise to create a large universe where its games, TV shows, and movies are all interconnected.
It was reported about a month ago that Amazon is set to publish the next mainline entry in the Tomb Raider gaming series, which developer Crystal Dynamics will seemingly place its full attention to, after the shutdown of its live-service title, Marvel’s Avengers. This was deemed rather unusual, as holding company Embracer Group had bought Crystal Dynamics and the Tomb Raider IP from publisher Square Enix not that long ago, but it’s clear Embracer has no issue with letting its developers parley with external publishers.
The recent Hollywood Reporter report claims that Amazon’s investment into Tomb Raider goes beyond just the games. Amazon has allegedly gotten into a deal with dj2 Entertainment, a production company known for spearheading well-received video game adaptations, such as the recent Sonic the Hedgehog films. dj2 shall reportedly produce a new Tomb Raider movie, though it’s unclear if it will star Alicia Vikander, who played protagonist Lara Croft in the franchise’s most recent film adaptation (2018).
The Hollywood Reporter goes on to claim that this investment into Tomb Raider is one of the largest media investments Amazon has ever made, comparing it with (though definitively placing it beneath) its investment into Lord of the Rings with The Rings of Power. “The idea is to build out a connected world of Tomb Raider,” the article reads, “with the video game, TV series, and film all interconnected in a fashion akin to what Marvel has already accomplished.”
On the TV end, The Hollywood Reporter previously claimed that Phoebe Waller-Bridge (best known for Fleabag) is set to write a Tomb Raider series, which will be exclusive on Amazon Prime.
Crystal Dynamics has yet to show off any gameplay, or even a cinematic trailer for the next Tomb Raider game, so it’s likely still a ways away. Back when the studio was still owned by Square Enix, a few sections of what was allegedly the future game’s script was leaked via a gaming podcast called Sacred Symbols. The podcast was hit with a DMCA notice by Square, which further substantiated its potential veracity.