Groundbreaking 'Tomb Raider' reboot: Sophie Turner steps into the iconic role of Lara Croft

There are casting announcements, and then there are moments. Prime Video's unveiling of Sophie Turner as the new Lara Croft firmly lands in the latter category.

The first official look from Amazon MGM Studios was released this week, and within minutes, timelines were split between nostalgia-fueled excitement and intense scrutiny from fans.

Welcome back to the "Tomb Raider" era, but this time it's different.

Turner, forever etched into pop culture memory as the resilient Sansa Stark from "Game of Thrones", is officially fronting Prime Video’s upcoming live-action "Tomb Raider" TV series, marking the most ambitious reboot of the iconic franchise since Angelina Jolie first strapped on the dual pistols in the early 2000s.

It’s a historic handover: one generation’s Lara passing the torch to another.

The image itself is a clever conversation starter, shared via the streaming platform’s Instagram account with the caption, “Get your artefacts out. Lara’s on her way”.

The wardrobe test shows Turner in a teal tank top, black shorts, fingerless gloves and signature braid, finished with dark sunglasses, a look that nods unapologetically to Lara Croft’s 1996 video game origins while subtly modernising the silhouette.

And yes, the internet had thoughts.

Some fans applauded the decision to lean into classic Lara aesthetics rather than reinventing her from scratch.

Others debated proportions, pistols, and pixels as if it were a global cosplay tribunal. But mixed reactions are almost a rite of passage when resurrecting a character as culturally embedded as Lara Croft, a video game heroine who helped define an entire genre and inspired generations of players, particularly women.

Behind the scenes, the project is equally headline-worthy. The series is created and written by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, whose sharp, character-driven storytelling ("Fleabag", "Killing Eve") suggests that this Lara will have more emotional depth than ever before.

She’s joined by co-showrunner Chad Hodge and director Jonathan Van Tulleken, with a supporting cast that includes Sigourney Weaver, Jason Isaacs, Celia Imrie and Paterson Joseph, a line-up that signals prestige TV rather than nostalgic fan service.

Turner seems fully aware of the pressure and the privilege. In recent interviews, she’s joked that the production’s security makes "Game of Thrones" look like a school play. Scripts are locked behind facial recognition and multiple logins.

“It’s like raiding a tomb just to read an episode,” she laughed, which, frankly, feels on-brand.

What makes this reboot especially timely is its place within a larger "Tomb Raider" revival. Amazon, MGM Studios, and Crystal Dynamics are building a connected universe, with new video games already in development and long-term plans across TV and film.

This isn’t a one-off gamble; it’s a strategic resurrection of a global icon.

For Turner, the role also represents a career pivot from fantasy royalty to action-adventure lead and a chance to carry a franchise across multiple seasons.

For audiences, it’s an invitation to rediscover Lara Croft not just as an action figure, but as a fully realised character for a new era.

Filming is underway in Los Angeles, with a likely late 2026 or early 2027 release window. Until then, the first look has done exactly what it needed to do: spark conversation, stir emotion and remind us why Lara Croft still matters.

Because some legends don’t stay buried, they reload.