Boom. Another franchise bites the dust. Amazon and Phoebe Waller-Bridge's much-hyped Tomb Raider reboot has been shelved—not delayed, not reworked, but killed. And if you're surprised, you haven't been paying attention.
Hollywood's reboot addiction is like a gambler doubling down on a losing hand. Remember when Tomb Raider (2018) underperformed? Or when Alicia Vikander's Lara Croft failed to ignite a franchise? Yet here we are, watching Amazon toss $100 million into a pit and light it on fire.
Why This Collapsed
- Creative Chaos: Waller-Bridge—a genius (Fleabag, Killing Eve)—was an odd fit. Her signature wit clashes with Tomb Raider's action-hero DNA. Did Amazon expect quips over quicksand?
- Franchise Fatigue: Audiences are rebelling against lazy IP recycling. Indiana Jones 5 flopped. The Marvels bombed. Why did Amazon think this would be different?
- Streaming's Identity Crisis: Amazon's Lord of the Rings gamble paid off (barely), but Citadel and The Peripheral prove their hit rate is shaky.
The Bigger Problem:
This isn't just about Tomb Raider. It's about Hollywood's refusal to learn. Studios keep exhuming corpses (Gladiator 2, Twister 2) instead of betting on fresh ideas. And when they do take risks (The Creator, Furiosa), they're shocked when audiences shrug.
Would you trust Amazon with Lara Croft after Rings of Power's mixed reception? Yeah, me neither. Maybe it's time to let tomb raiding stay buried.
What's Next?
If Waller-Bridge's star power couldn't save this, what will Amazon greenlight? A Mr. Robot reboot where Elliot Alderson fights NFTs? (…Actually, don't give them ideas.)
