Tomb Raider video game star Alix Wilton Regan on touching base with Sophie Turner after it was announced they would both be Lara Croft.
Alix Wilton Regan says she and Sophie Turner connected after both landed Lara Croft roles across Tomb Raider projects.
Regan revealed she was already recording two Tomb Raider games before Turner’s live-action series casting was announced.
The Tomb Raider game star said she avoided comparing Lara takes, wanting Turner free to shape her own version.
Regan praised Sophie Turner and Phoebe Waller-Bridge, saying Prime Video’s Tomb Raider series is in very safe hands.
If you’re a fan of the Lara Croft/Tomb Raider franchise, things are looking pretty good. You’ve got Prime Video and Showrunners Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Chad Hodge’s Sophie Turner-starring live-action series in production, and two video games: a remake of 1996’s Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis and Tomb Raider: Catalyst. Speaking with Variety, Alix Wilton Regan, who will be providing the voice and motion capture for Lara Croft in both video games, said she spoke with Turner about their shared roles and explained why they didn’t discuss their respective takes on the famed tomb raider.
“The two Lara Crofts have indeed talked. Yes, we have. We know each other socially from London, and so it was really funny — I was already recording both of my ‘Tomb Raiders’ before Sophie got her job. But she was announced first, so I was like looking her in the eye at a party, going, ‘It’s just so great! I’m so happy for you!’ And I was doing this with my eyes, but not saying anything, because I was under NDA,” Regan shared. “So then, in 2025, when I was announced at the Game Awards, I asked the gods and the goddesses of Amazon HQ if I could talk to her, and they said yes, of course, you can. So I texted her, and she just replied all capital letters ‘Alix’ in a text message, and ‘Oh my god, can’t believe this. Oh my god, my mind is blown.’ They were just solid capital for the whole time.”
But even though they’ve known each other before the projects were announced and are tackling the same character, Regan explained why she wasn’t looking to compare Lara Croft notes with Turner. “I haven’t spoken to Sophie about her interpretation of Lara because I don’t think that would be either appropriate or fair at this point. She’s so immersed in her journey of creating her Lara,” she shared. “But between Sophie Turner and [writer] Phoebe Waller-Bridge, I think you’re in very safe hands. I have no concerns about this TV show. It’s going to be fantastic, because anything that those two do is really, really good.”
Jaason Isaacs has been tapped to play Atlas DeMornay, one of the canon roles, with Sigourney Weaver on board as Evelyn Wallis, a mysterious, high-flying woman who is keen to exploit Lara’s talents. In addition, Martin Bobb-Semple will play Zip, while Bill Paterson is set as Winston. Jack Bannon is set as Gerry, John Heffernan will play David, and Celia Imrie will play Francine. Paterson Joseph, Sasha Luss, Juliette Motamed, and August Wittgenstein have also joined the cast. “Tomb Raider boasts a plethora of iconic characters,” shared Waller-Bridge. “I am thrilled to have been able to bring some personal and fan favourites to the screen while also introducing a few new rascals of our own to the mix. This cast is beyond my wildest dreams.”
In a June 2023 profile interview with Vanity Fair, Waller-Bridge discussed her lifelong connection with the video game franchise, her understanding of the responsibility that comes with bringing Lara Croft to life, and how the franchise is ripe for a “dangerous and exciting” take.
Waller-Bridge on Finding “Really Quite Dangerous” Take Fans Will Connect With: “There’s room to do something really quite dangerous. And if I can do something dangerous and exciting with Tomb Raider, I already have an audience of people who love Lara and hopefully will continue to. And that is a very unusual position to be in.
