Should Tomb Raider Get the Series Treatment Now That Tomb Raider 2 Has Been Cancelled?
According to a recent report from Digital Spy, the possibility of there being a Tomb Raider 2 picture with Alicia Vikander in the starring role is slim. MGM failed to commission a sequel to its 2018 reboot in time and lost the rights to the IP in May 2022. Now, there’s uncertainty about what will happen with Lara Croft on the big screen.
Now could be the perfect time to take the character in a brand new direction in the entertainment industry. After the success of The Last of Us, there’s a strong argument to suggest that a Tomb Raider television series would be a hit.
Rebooted Tomb Raider Pictures Cancelled
Tomb Raider is one of the most famous game franchises of all time, and it’s no surprise that there have already been various movie adaptations. Lara Croft: Tomb Raider was the first major big screen outing in 2001, and this was followed up by Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life in 2003. Neither was exceptionally successful, though, and the Angelina Jolie-led films were discontinued.
In 2018, Roar Uthaug brought Lara Croft back to the big screen, this time with a more rugged and raw version of the character. This tied in well with the rebooted game series from Crystal Dynamics, which gave players the chance to play as an inexperienced Croft in her early days of tomb raiding. The 2013 title served as inspiration for the 2018 picture, and Uthaug’s offering was expected to lead to sequels that would explore the other two titles in the Survivor trilogy. This never came to fruition, however, and now the future of Tomb Raider in cinema is up in the air.
Series Could be a Great Success
Calls for a Tomb Raider television series are getting louder, especially after the success of other recent game adaptations on the small screen. A television series could offer the perfect opportunity for the Tomb Raider franchise to expand into the one area it hasn’t yet conquered, and it would doubtlessly attract viewers thanks to its enduring popularity across mainstream culture.
Tomb Raider’s legacy now stretches way beyond the console games, and there are countless spinoffs and tie-ins on other platforms. For instance, mobile users can play titles like Lara Croft Go and Lara Croft: Relic Run. There are also games like Lara Croft Temples and Tombs, which is one of the biggest attractions at Lottoland Casino. The site has a range of slots with titles like Bounty Hunters and Wild Wild Chest, but there’s no doubt that the Tomb Raider-themed game is one of the most popular games.
All of these players would appreciate a series based on Tomb Raider, and a television offering could bring new fans to the franchise as well. This was certainly the case with The Witcher on Netflix and The Last of Us on HBO Max. The latter was described as one of the finest TV shows of the year in The Guardian.
With the past Tomb Raider movies not as successful as the film studios hoped, it could be time for a change to tact with adaptations of the game. Indeed, this could be the perfect chance to develop a new Lara Croft-based television series.