Alicia Vikander Raves About Sophie Turner as Lara Croft, Calls Prime Video’s 90s Pivot a Smart Play

In a very pleasant twist, Alicia Vikander is fully on board with Amazon’s new Tomb Raider series. She saw the first-look shot of Sophie Turner in the gear and, yes, she’s into the 90s throwback vibe the show is leaning into.

Vikander’s take: bring on the 90s

Speaking to Swedish outlet MovieZine at the Goteborg Film Festival, Vikander said the early peek at Turner-as-Lara clicked for her right away. She also shouted out Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who is writing and co-showrunning the series, as a force behind the scenes — which, fair.

'I loved it when I saw the first picture... I think it's a really smart choice.'

That retro angle makes sense: the character exploded in the 90s, and leaning into that era’s DNA is a clean way to reset the compass for a new audience.

A quick rewind on Vikander’s Lara

Vikander was the second big-screen Lara Croft after Angelina Jolie’s two early-2000s movies. Her 2018 film teamed her with Dominic West, Walton Goggins, Daniel Wu, and Kristin Scott Thomas. A sequel was in motion for a while, then got caught in a rights mess and died in 2022 when the studio’s hold on the franchise expired.

She says she had a blast making it, even if the follow-up fell apart for reasons that were murky from her vantage point. And, yes, it has somehow been almost ten years since she shot that movie. She still loves the character and hopes the new show brings in a fresh wave of younger fans.

Where the new show stands

Production is underway on Prime Video’s Tomb Raider series with Sophie Turner headlining. The cast also includes Paterson Joseph, Celia Imrie, and Sigourney Weaver. No premiere date yet — Amazon is keeping that treasure locked up for now — but they’ve clearly committed to the PlayStation-era spirit.

• Platform: Prime Video (Amazon)
• Status: In production; first-look image of Sophie Turner as Lara is out
• Lead: Sophie Turner as Lara Croft
• Creative: Phoebe Waller-Bridge is writer and co-showrunner
• Supporting cast: Paterson Joseph, Celia Imrie, Sigourney Weaver
• Vikander context: Starred in the 2018 film; co-stars included Dominic West, Walton Goggins, Daniel Wu, Kristin Scott Thomas
• Sequel that wasn’t: Canceled in 2022 when the studio’s Tomb Raider rights expired
• Vikander’s comments came via MovieZine at the Goteborg Film Festival

Short version: the baton has been passed, the nostalgia dial is up, and the cast is stacked. Now we just need a date so we can actually watch Lara raid some tombs.