NETFLIX PREMIERES TOMB RAIDER: THE LEGEND OF LARA CROFT

Netflix premieres Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft which, based on the wild success of the first two films in the Tomb Raider series, is sure to make big waves, unearth the lost city of Atlantis and salvage itself boatloads of awards in the process.

An icon reborn, a cherished franchise renewed: on 10 October, Netflix releases what it bills as ‘a legendary adventure through time that bridges the gap between Tomb Raider’s past, present and future incarnations.’ In Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft – an anime series developed by Crystal Dynamics, the studio behind the Legend and Underworld games – viewers will relish another adventure in the globetrotting, genre-straddling story of archaeologist and heroine Lara Croft.

CHARTING NEW TERRITORIES: THE LEGEND CONTINUES

The Legend of Lara Croft’ doesn’t just step into the mythos of Tomb Raider, it steps straight out of where Survivor left off. I refer to the trilogy made up of ‘Tomb Raider’, ‘Rise of the Tomb Raider’ and ‘Shadow of the Tomb Raider’, which truly redefined who Lara Croft is: a survivor, an exemplar of courage and tenacity, and a model of curiosity and exploration.

A LOOK INTO THE LEGEND'S WORLD

Yours is the voice of Hayley Atwell, Lara Croft’s narrator, who guides us through lost worlds of ancient wonders and deadly adversaries. Some 25 years on from Lara Croft’s first swirling jump, into the belly of make-believe fun, she’s an adventure icon who still inhabits the hearts and minds of imaginative explorers. Her story’s not over yet. The tale of Lara Croft is about to embark on a new mission, to plunge into the dark realms of long-forgotten burial grounds and discover the hot core of her fearlessness.

THE LEGEND'S LATEST CHALLENGE

The plot is kickstarted when Lara (a rejuvenated Atwell) is shocked to discover a dangerous and magical Chinese artifact has been stolen from her at Croft Manor, and by an individual with a deeply personal grudge against our girl. What follows is a globetrotting quest involving cunning, athleticism and mental strength.

A LEGEND'S PERSONAL JOURNEY

It promised to be an adventure, yes, but it would also be a philosophic journey of the soul, just what Lara went through, pushed up against her deepest fears and required to make her most agonising choices. What sort of hero might she seek to become? What sort of hero, triumphing over fear and adversity, might teach us about ourselves – not to mention sell the next game?

ENGAGING THE LEGEND: GAMERS UNITE!

Now, GamesBeat has launched a cool complement to the game by offering the Tomb Raider audience its own customised games for free. The offering, via Lil Snack, aims to add an extra dimension to the Tomb Raider experience by bringing more play into the mix and letting gamers and fans interact with the content they love.

LEGENDS IN THE MAKING: CRYSTAL DYNAMICS AND AMAZON MGM'S GRAND PLANS

And beyond the animated series, there’s more to come for Tomb Raider fans, too. The games’ developer Crystal Dynamics and Amazon MGM Studios are working on a live-action series set to bring Lara Croft’s world to life in an entirely new way. The endless entertainment value and evolving legacy of Tomb Raider proves that immortality can be a real-life reality for Lara Croft.

DECODING THE LEGEND OF LARA CROFT

At its most fundamental, ‘The Legend of Lara Croft’ is not merely a chapter in the ongoing Tomb Raider series. It speaks to an atavistic curiosity hemmed in by all sides of the human condition. Through the vehicle of a character whose journeys to unlikely survival are mirrored in our own lives, the series invites audiences to question their own definitions of bravery, adventure and legacy.

UNDERSTANDING LEGEND

Legends, after all, tell of great exploits, beyond the ordinary, of stories that achieve transcendence, that echo down through time and become part of the muscle, nerve and breath of culture, the whole of us. Lara Croft, both as a character and as a phenomenon, as a young woman and as a manifestation of the phenomenal in our world, is a legend. There is a genesis and, in fact, a heredity in all legends, and when we eulogise her we eulogise the fact that everything in her is true.

Before we open Firefly: The Legend of Captain Mal Reynolds, remember: all legends are stories. And all stories are about the legends we live by, and the legends we make. Inside the cover of ‘Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft’ is not just the arrival of a new series as part of a storied franchise, but the invitation to live a legend. 11/12/14.

Get ready to join Lara Croft on an adventure that will push the boundaries of action and a reboot that will change the legend of Tomb Raider forever.