Movies

Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Tomb Raider Series Hits Major Snag, Sources Say It’s ‘Dead’!

BBG News

It appears that Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s eagerly anticipated Tomb Raider TV series has hit an obstacle, with reports indicating that the concept may no longer be moving forward.

It appears that Amazon Studios’ $100 million investment in the British actress hasn’t yielded immediate returns, as the scripts from the Fleabag creator have been slow to materialize and were subsequently deemed unsuitable for filming at this time.

Last year, a Prime Video executive indicated that the series would be filmed in early 2025. However, as of now, there appears to be no evidence suggesting that filming has begun or is planned for that timeframe.

It appears that Sophie Turner, known for her role in Game of Thrones, has been involved in discussions about portraying the main character, Lara Croft from Tomb Raider. However, she’s got a full schedule with various films throughout most of this year, keeping her quite occupied.

‘I hear that it is not going ahead,’ says a source.

A spokesman for Prime Video had no comment; nor did representatives for Waller-Bridge.

2022 saw Phoebe Waller-Bridge expressing interest in adapting the character Lara Croft for television, as reported by sources. By around mid-last year, a script for this project had been drafted.

To date, no minute of content for broadcast has been produced for this project, and it suffered a significant setback last week when Jennifer Salke, the executive in charge of the project at Amazon Studios, was dismissed from her position.

In 2019, Salke, who had previously held the position of entertainment head at NBC, served as the primary negotiator and sealed a remarkable contract worth $20 million per year, often referred to as “golden handcuffs,” with Phoebe Waller-Bridge, when her popularity soared following the success of Fleabag.

That deal is now infamous as one of the biggest blunders in Hollywood, casting a shadow on Salke’s reputation that could potentially have played a role in her resignation.

Over the last six years, Waller-Bridge has assumed roles in two productions – Disney’s Indiana Jones 5: The Dial of Destiny and the animated movie titled ‘IF’, produced by Paramount Pictures.

She also contributed to the script of 2021 James Bond film No Time To Die.

Originally slated to both write for and act in the TV remake of Mr & Mrs Smith, she stepped down from her role in 2021. Her work on the project was effectively expunged, leaving no trace of her involvement, and ultimately, the series aired with Maya Erskine and Donald Glover as the leads instead.

Despite everything mentioned earlier, it’s worth noting that the handcuffs agreement was renewed in 2022, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge has been confirmed to be developing a high-budget television show inspired by the Tomb Raider video game series.

In 2023, Salke expressed: “We’re thrilled we kept Phoebe on board with us, given her lifelong passion for Lara Croft/Tomb Raider. Since she’s the one crafting this character, we believe it will lead to a massive franchise for us.

Reflecting on my experiences, particularly working on Bond and Indiana Jones, I found myself eagerly anticipating the chance to bring a strong female action character to life. It seemed like the perfect culmination of all I’ve worked towards in my career.

Imagine if I were given control over an action series, leveraging all my knowledge, featuring a beloved character, while also reviving the energy and style of the ’90s era?

Trouble began to emerge noticeably in October as Waller-Bridge was absent from Amazon’s Innovators gathering in London, where Salke and other leading creators were present.

There was no mention, in three hours of interviews and trailers, of Tomb Raider.

Matt Belloni, creator of the entertainment site Puck, shares that the script for Tomb Raider remains undeveloped, even after substantial investments have been made towards its concept; this, despite undergoing the input of two separate writer’s teams.

Other entertainment sites report that the script is being ‘extensively rewritten’.

According to Belloni, Waller-Bridge’s contract with Amazon was discreetly extended prior to Salke’s departure. Now, it operates under a non-exclusive, first-look agreement, and the amount is significantly less than before.

2023 financial records for PMWB Limited indicate an annual revenue exceeding $24 million. Following expenses approximately $5 million, the business recorded a gross profit of about $19 million. In addition, Director Waller-Bridge received a dividend totaling $2.2 million.

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2025-04-07 18:34

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