Phoebe Waller-Bridge Wants to Bring the ’90s Vibe Back to ‘Tomb Raider’

Once you start looking for treasure, it’s hard to stop, which is a good thing for Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who believes that her recent experience in action films has equipped her with the necessary skills to successfully adapt the Tomb Raider video game for Amazon Prime Video. The Fleabag star and creator is currently starring alongside Harrison Ford in the legendary actor’s final outing as the iconic Indiana Jones in The Dial of Destiny.

Waller-Bridge is keen to bring her newfound skills to the table in assisting her to bring a heroine to life. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Waller-Bridge reconnected with the world of Tomb Raider by immersing herself in the games once again. Her unwavering love for Lara Croft led her to follow her bold instincts when approached by Amazon to come aboard any make a television series for a franchise that has already failed to set the big-screen box office alight on multiple occasions.

“God, it literally felt like that teenager in me saying: do right by her, do right by Lara!” she said. “The opportunity to have, as we were talking earlier, a female action character…. Having worked on Bond (in 2021’s No Time to Die) and having worked as an actor on Indy, I feel like I’ve been building up to this.”

RELATED: ‘Tomb Raider’ Film in Development at Amazon

Bringing Back That 90s Vibe

Speaking to Vanity Fair, she expanded on her thoughts, asking herself: “What if I could take the reins on an action franchise, with everything I’ve learned, with a character I adore, and also just bring back some of that ’90s vibe?” she continued, adding that “it’s such a wonderful feeling to think you know what to do” with such a project.

In the end, she views Tomb Raider as an opportunity to defy the repetitive nature of the entertainment industry, which often relies on recycling and rebooting existing content or intellectual property that already has an established following.

“I feel like when you’re working in the industry, you’ve got to ride the waves and lean in,” she said. “There’s room to do something really quite dangerous, and if I can do something dangerous and exciting with Tomb Raider. I already have an audience of people who love Lara and hopefully will continue to. And that is a very unusual position to be in. It’s the old Trojan horse.”

Tomb Raider is currently in the early stages of development, with no announcements regarding the star, director, or premiere date at this time. You can check out our chat with Waller-Bridge and Harrison Ford below.