Line of Duty actor Keeley Hawes, who voiced Lara Croft in the video games, has reportedly joined Amazon Prime Video’s new Tomb Raider series.
The British star, 49, came on board as the voice of the iconic video game character for the Legend series in 2006, before she was replaced in the prequel series by Camilla Luddington in 2013.
Although her voice has since cropped up in Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris and the Netflix mobile game Tomb Raider Reloaded – so she still has a close bond with the franchise.
She is part of a coveted group of stars who have all portrayed Lara across the video game, animation and live-action adaptations, including Hayley Atwell, Angelina Jolie and Alicia Vikander.
Two decades after The Assassin star first joined the popular action-adventure franchise, she has now been seen on the set of Prime’s new Tomb Raider series, where actress Sophie Turner will be taking up the baton.
Dressed in a long brown trench coat and black boots, some fans are theorising that she could be playing Lara’s mother, Lady Amelia Croft, the Countess of Abbingdon.
Keeley, who is also well known for her role as Lindsay Denton in Line of Duty, will be joining an acclaimed cast of stars for this latest adaptation from Fleabag creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge.
The show will also feature Sigourney Weaver, Jason Isaacs and Celia Imrie, alongside Martin Bobb-Semple, Jack Bannon, John Heffernan, Bill Paterson, and more.
When Game of Thrones star Sophie was confirmed as Lara last September, she said she was ‘thrilled beyond measure’.
Acknowledging the character’s mammoth legacy, she added she will ‘giving everything I’ve got.’
Amazon’s Tomb Raider: Key details
Creator
Phoebe Waller-Bridge
Showrunners
Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Chad Hodge
Director
Jonathan Van Tulleken
Cast
Sophie Turner, Sigourney Weaver, Jason Isaacs, Martin Bobb-Semple, Jack Bannon, John Heffernan, Bill Paterson, Paterson Joseph, Sasha Luss, Juliette Motamed, Celia Imrie, and August Wittgenstein.
Streamer
Amazon Prime Video
Release date
To be announced
‘They’re massive shoes to fill, following in the steps of Angelina and Alicia with their powerhouse performances, but with Phoebe at the helm, we (and Lara) are all in very safe hands. I can’t wait for you all to see what we have cooking,’ the actor concluded at the time.
As for Keeley, she fondly talks of her time playing the adventurer and archaeologist.
‘I like Lara. She’s a British aristocrat, which gives something to go on and she’s very dry with a great sense of humour. I like it when the scriptwriters introduce little things too. It all fits together well,’ she told The Independent in 2014.
She also had nothing but nice words for the fans of the franchise, calling the ‘some of the nicest people I’ve ever met’.
She continued: ‘It often leads to me making them a new answering machine message but it’s always a very positive thing.
‘The fans love the game. They love Lara and are passionate for her. She’s been around for 20 years and she’s a huge part of the teenage years of so many.’
Metro has reached out to Amazon Prime Video and Keeley Hawes representatives for comment.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.