Netflix’s upcoming series, Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft, is set to reintroduce the iconic video game heroine, but this time, through animation. The shift to animated adaptations of video games has gained momentum in recent years, especially as Hollywood moves beyond the struggles that once plagued live-action adaptations. While live-action series like HBO’s The Last of Us and Prime Video’s Fallout are finally finding their stride, animated adaptations have long been thriving.
In an interview with MovieWeb, series creator and showrunner Tasha Huo discussed her approach to bringing Lara Croft to life in this new format. When asked why she opted for animation over the live-action format used in previous adaptations featuring Angelina Jolie and Alicia Vikander, Huo highlighted the creative freedom that animation offers.
“Creatively, one of the things is that it allows you to go as big as the Tomb Raider games go, with nowhere near the budget it would require if it was a live-action show,” Huo explained. “I think animation allows for creators like myself, who are genuine fans of the series, to do their thing.”
Huo also emphasized the lower financial risk associated with animation, which allows for a more expansive and imaginative adaptation without the constraints of a live-action budget. “It allows us to have our playground,” she continued, “that we know and love as fans, because it’s not as much of a risk, financially, right? It’s much more affordable to make, and, because they’re now being made by fans, they’re really good. And so now, more and more people are like, ‘I want to do that! I wanna follow in the heels of Arcane and Castlevania,’ right?”
The Legend of Lara Croft is being developed by Powerhouse Animation (known for Castlevania and Seis Manos) and Legendary Entertainment. The series picks up after the events of the rebooted video game trilogy, continuing the story after Shadow of the Tomb Raider, with Hayley Atwell voicing the globe-trotting protagonist. The series is scheduled for release on October 10, 2024.
Netflix’s Dominance in Animated Video Game Adaptations
Years before HBO’s success with live-action adaptations like The Last of Us, Netflix had already established itself as a leader in animated video game series. Netflix’s first foray into this genre was Castlevania, launched in 2017, which remains a standout success. Based on Konami’s iconic gaming franchise, the series carved out a new narrative within the vampiric world of the games, running for four seasons and spawning a spin-off, Castlevania: Nocturne.
Other major successes for Netflix include Arcane (based on League of Legends) and Cyberpunk: Edgerunners (based on Cyberpunk 2077). Both series were not only hits with fans but also achieved significant recognition during awards seasons. Arcane won four Primetime Emmys in 2022, including Outstanding Animated Program, while Cyberpunk: Edgerunners became the most popular video game anime of all time, winning the Crunchyroll Anime of the Year Award in 2023.
With such a strong track record, expectations are high for Netflix’s Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft, as the platform continues to dominate the animated video game adaptation landscape.