Alicia Vikander’s turn as Lara Croft in 2018’s Tomb Raider adaptation is having a bit of a renaissance it seems. The film, which is largely based on the rebooted Survivor timeline, recently popped up on the Netflix top 10 films list, seven years (give or take) since its initial release.
Most recent Netflix data reveals Tomb Raider is sitting at number nine for global film releases, ahead of the more seasonal Jingle Bell Heist, making it one of the most watched films worldwide between 22nd and 28th December.
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According to Netflix, Tomb Raider has so far enjoyed two weeks on the streaming service’s top 10 for films, with over 4m views. That equates to 8.2m hours watched.
The rest of the top 10 is made up of seasonal favourites such as Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch or more recent releases like Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. K Pop Demon Hunters is, of course, still in there as well.
So, why the sudden interest in Tomb Raider? Well, there are a number of factors that have likely had an impact on its renewed popularity. Netflix could have seen an uptick in Tomb Raider viewers as this year marks the series’ 30th anniversary. Yep, the first Tomb Raider came out in 1996, which is wild because I am still only 21, so not sure how that works…
Another reason could be the announcement last month that two new Tomb Raider games are in the pipeline. The first, known as Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, is a from the ground up remake of the original Tomb Raider, with Flying Wild Hog handling development with Crystal Dynamics. This chap is due to be released some time this year, though we don’t have an exact date yet.
The second game, meanwhile, is coming from Crystal Dynamics and Amazon, and is known as Tomb Raider: Catalyst. This will be an all-new series entry, which takes place after Tomb Raider: Underworld (that’s the game where Lara pops along to Helheim whilst wielding Thor’s hammer, Mjolnir). Catalyst will see the globe-trotting Lara Croft heading to Northern India, and is due to be released in 2027.
Fallout’s Walton Goggins also starred in Tomb Raider. | Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
Once upon a time, a sequel to Vikander’s Tomb Raider film was being planned. However, in 2022, it was reported that MGM had lost the rights to the Tomb Raider films.
Elsewhere, Amazon is working on a live action Tomb Raider TV series, with Sophie Turner as Lara Croft. Filming is expected to kick off later this month. Other cast members include Sigourney Weaver and Jason Isaacs.
Weaver will play a character called Wallace on the show’s release, and has stated the Tomb Raider scripts are “incredible, and very funny, very charming, very witty”.