Tomb Raider Series Production Paused Following Star's Injury
Production on the highly anticipated new Tomb Raider live-action series has been temporarily halted after lead actress Sophie Turner sustained an injury. The Game of Thrones star, who is set to portray archaeologist-adventurer Lara Croft, discovered a back problem while undergoing rigorous physical training for the role.
Minor Injury Causes Production Delay
A spokesperson for Amazon MGM Studios confirmed the production pause, describing Turner's injuries as "minor" and expressing optimism about resuming filming soon. "We look forward to resuming production as soon as possible," the spokesperson stated, though it remains unclear whether the injury occurred during actual filming or solely during training sessions.
Turner had been engaged in an intensive eight-hour daily training regimen, five days a week, since February of last year to prepare for the physically demanding role. The actress revealed she had never worked out prior to this training, making the process particularly challenging. "I also realised that it's much easier to build muscle if you've worked out before in your life, which I never had," Turner explained during an interview. "So it's taken me months and months and months to get into good shape."
From Sansa Stark to Lara Croft
Best known for her portrayal of Sansa Stark in HBO's Game of Thrones, Turner expressed enthusiasm about playing a character markedly different from her previous roles. "It's quite nice to learn how to throw a punch and not just take it," she remarked, highlighting the contrast between the vulnerable Sansa and the action-oriented Lara Croft.
The new Tomb Raider adaptation, created and showrun by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, features an impressive supporting cast including Sigourney Weaver as Evelyn Wallis, Celia Imrie as Francine of the British Museum, and Jason Isaacs as Lara's uncle, Atlas DeMornay. Waller-Bridge expressed excitement about the project, stating: "This cast is beyond my wildest dreams!"
A Legacy Role with Big Shoes to Fill
Turner steps into a role previously embodied by both Angelina Jolie in early 2000s films and Alicia Vikander in the 2018 reboot. Vikander's performance received significant praise despite the film's mixed critical reception and modest box office performance of $275 million globally.
The Swedish actress had been set to return for a sequel until MGM lost the rights to the Tomb Raider franchise, causing the project to disintegrate. Vikander expressed disappointment about not continuing as Croft, telling The Independent she would have "of course" returned for Tomb Raider 2 had the opportunity remained. "I had so much fun," she added.
As production remains temporarily suspended, fans await further updates on Turner's recovery and the resumption of filming for what promises to be a fresh take on the iconic video game franchise.
