Netflix’s ‘Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft’ anime series is all set to hit the streaming platform in October this year. It’s been a while since we got a Tomb Raider project. But thanks to Netflix, we will witness the return of the prominent archaeologist in the upcoming anime series, developed by Tasha Huo.
Call it one of Netflix’s masterstrokes or the streamer’s another attempt to strengthen its anime library, but the sound of a Tomb Raider anime series will intrigue many fans. The upcoming anime adaptation could attract substantial viewership for Netflix, considering the craze fans have for the Tomb Raider video game series and the growing popularity of anime shows among viewers.
A good Tomb Raider adaptation is badly needed, even if it comes in the form of an anime show. In fact, Tasha Huo’s forthcoming project should be an anime, a scenario that could bestow viewers with visually mesmerising action-adventure elements brimmed with vibrant colours and dynamic animation. And most importantly, it will be a lot better than all the live-action feature adaptations that have stained the Tomb Raider franchise in the past for good – Angelina Jolie’s 2001 original movie and The Cradle of Life (2003), and Alicia Vikander’s 2018 movie.
Huo has confirmed that the show is set within the existing Tomb Raider universe. It will connect the events between the 2013 reboot trilogy and the adventures of Lara’s original trilogy. This suggests the series’ storyline will occur after the “Survive” trilogy and before the beginning of the main Tomb Raider series.
Hayley Atwell voicing the protagonist in ‘Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft’ is indeed one of the best things that could have happened to the show. Back in 2013, Atwell revealed her desire to portray the popular archaeologist via her official Twitter handle (which is no longer active). It’s funny how life works because, after 11 long years, fans will get a chance to hear the on-screen Peggy Carter voicing Lara Croft.
In a recent interview with IGN, Huo talked about his upcoming anime project and shared some intriguing details. When asked about Lara sharing any similarities or parallels with Marvel’s Agent Carter, this is what he replied:
“I would say [Lara is] separate from Agent Carter, but I think what was funny is that we brought a lot of Hayley into the show. Because the more we realized how much of a badass [Atwell] was, the more it became, “If you’re jumping out of a plane, Lara, this is sort of what you have to do,” and then she would be like, “Oh, yeah, I just jumped out of a plane last week, so I got this.”
Getting Atwell as the protagonist was needed. She has a commanding and powerful voice, a trait she has flawlessly displayed in her MCU works. Plus, Lara Croft is traditionally portrayed with a British accent, and Atwell’s natural English accent is a perfect match for the character. Yes, both Agent Carter and Lara Croft are different from each other, but Atwell knows how to breathe new fire into a character via voice work. She did the same with Captain Carter in Marvel’s What If… series. She can do the same with the upcoming Netflix’s Tomb Raider anime series as well. Stay tuned for more updates.
Watch the teaser of Netflix’s ‘Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft’ below! Enjoy! The show will premiere on October 10.