UNEARTHING LEGENDS: LARA CROFT'S ELECTRIFYING RETURN IN "TOMB RAIDER: THE LEGEND OF LARA CROFT"

The legend may be back, with a vengeance, in an age of legends returning to the limelight – guardians of the future, created by the hand of the past and imagined by a daring present that yearns for the thrills of exploration and discovery once again; with its predicted release on Netflix on 10 October, Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft brings viewers back into the glorious world of one of gaming’s most-known characters, rebooting not the formula but the legend of Lara Croft: a high-stakes, action-adventure ride like no other.

A LEGEND REBORN: THE PREMISE OF THE NEW SERIES

Courtesy NetflixThis effort from Netflix’s animation studio Powerhouse has Hayley Atwell in the starring role, which has piqued fan interest. After the 2010s reboot trilogy, Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft shows how an adventurer has sprung from Lara Croft’s isolation as she pursues an irrepressible yearning for exploration. Swiping the ancient Chinese artefact she believes is in that Croft Manor vault, Lara has planted herself squarely back in the role as the one to save the world.

THE LEGEND CONTINUES: LARA CROFT'S TRANSITION INTO STREAMING

The jump from console to screen is wide, from the polygonal pioneer Lara Croft of old to today’s streaming sensation. Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft sounds set on bringing the generations together with its new narrative and visual refinement for the people who grew up with the legend, as well as attracting a whole new audience. Crystal Dynamics will be developing the game, and Amazon Prime is channelling Waller-Bridge’s live-action adaptation into the cultural depths. Multiplatform takeover? Lara Raider.

THE ESSENCE OF A LEGEND: WHAT MAKES LARA CROFT TICK?

At its core, the legend is still Lara Croft, who transcended the female image in video gaming. The trailer promises a mythological return to source for this iteration: where the first modern incarnation of Lara Croft, American actress Angelina Jolie, and the Oscar-winning feature film suggested a female who crouched and fought and survived, the Netflix series promises we’ll see a woman who ‘not only survives, but thrives’, says Brandstatter. She’ll ‘be able to leap, shoot, unravel, discover with that camera, scale the walls with that pickaxe, dive off mountains on a parachute, ride motorcycles at high speeds.

THE ADVENTURE AWAITS: WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THE SERIES

In the days before the debut airing, the question looms large as to the kind of spectacle we will be presented with: ‘Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft’ promises an aura of mystery, danger and the wild, and is shaping up to be the classic benchmark for action-adventure aficionados. Based on the teasers, we can expect to see elements from classical works, such as the bow and arrow, collaborate with a new dynamic such as flying combat scenes.

A LEGEND IN MAKING: THE PRODUCTION VALUE AND EXPECTATIONS

The partnership between Netflix and Powerhouse Animation promises series that are not just great storytelling but great visual storytelling, too. The strength of the cast – which includes Hayley Atwell and Earl Baylon (voice of Jonah) – supports that focus on character depth. As does the gorgeous animation and the promise of unrelenting plot tension: Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft might well raise the bar for how video game IP is adapted to streaming entertainment.

DECODING THE LEGEND: UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACT OF LARA CROFT

THE ESSENCE OF A LEGEND: THE ENDURING LEGACY OF LARA CROFT

Beyond the tomb raiding itself — the impetus that sent Croft on her original quest in 1996 — at the heart of this legend is a bold willingness to step into the darkness. Lara Croft makes her reality by bravely taking chances, facing fear, and venturing into the unknown with guts, grace, and a high-calorie diet.

Lara Croft is an archetypal adventurer, an avatar for anyone who dreams of crossing boundaries and breaking barriers. Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft invites us into a world where legends are not born; they are made in and through the transformative encounters we have with the external and internal worlds. As we watch Lara Croft’s latest dream unfold, we are reminded how deeply the appeal of such legends runs in our veins and how that, in turn, is connected to our own drive to step outside the comfort zone.

Beyond the release of Netflix’s Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft, set to arrive later this year, the story of Lara Croft is undoubtedly a long way from over. The tale of the character that started it all has continued to transform through each iteration of her ever-evolving legend, whether from console to screen: and that’s what this series celebrates. These stories don’t just chart the return of a character, but launch the return of a legend that’s once again ready to lead us into the darkest corners of the earth. Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft, meanwhile, arrives on Netflix on 10 October, but even if you haven’t been following Lara’s story from the very beginning, it doesn’t matter. The legend of Lara Croft is a legend that belongs to the whole world.