As we reported earlier this year, Amazon is preparing a “Tomb Raider” series based on the bestselling game series. The main writer and executive producer of the project was announced to be Emmy winner Phoebe Waller-Bridge (“Fleabag”). Now, according to Variety, Megan McDonnell, the writer of the comic book show ” Marvels,” has joined the team preparing the script.
The Phenomenon of the “Tomb Raider” Series
“Tomb Raider” is a successful video game series that has been around since 1996 and has sold nearly 90 million copies to date. The main character of the series is the British aristocrat and adventurer Lara Croft. Despite her noble birth, Lara is generally uninterested in high society, considering it to be rigid and dull. She is more fascinated by delving into the secrets of the past. Lara’s expeditions focus on the search for the most powerful and dangerous artifacts in the world.
Angelina Jolie was the first actress to portray Lara Croft on the big screen. Two films featuring her – “Tomb Raider” (2001) and “Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life” (2003) – earned a total of $432 million worldwide. In 2018, a reboot of the series was released, with Oscar winner Alicia Vikander in the lead role. The spectacle pulled in $274 million from viewers worldwide with a budget of $94 million. In April 2019, a sequel to the film was announced, but these plans were eventually scrapped, and producers began the search for a new home for Lara Croft.
Megan McDonnell – From Marvel to “Tomb Raider”
Megan McDonnell began her career in Hollywood working on John August and Craig Mazin’s podcast “Scriptnotes.” From there, she moved to Marvel Studios and joined the team working on the script for the “WandaVision” series.
She then became the writer for the “Marvels” show and later a consultant on the “Agatha: Darkhold Diaries” series.
McDonnell also has credits for the Apple series “Dark Matter” with Jennifer Connelly, Alice Braga, and Joel Edgerton. Meanwhile, FX is developing a series based on her original idea, “Disordered.”
Variety has recognized her as one of the 10 writers whose careers are worth following.
Trailer for the “Marvels” film