Sophie Turner Pauses Filming for Tomb Raider Reboot at British Museum
Sophie Turner was seen taking a well-deserved break on Tuesday evening while filming the highly anticipated Tomb Raider reboot series for Amazon Prime Video. The actress, who will portray the iconic adventurer Lara Croft, was captured outside London's British Museum on Great Russell Street, wrapped in a quilted winter coat but still revealing the character's signature cropped vest underneath.
Intense Preparation for Iconic Role
Turner has been undergoing rigorous training for more than a year to prepare for the physically demanding role, following in the footsteps of previous Lara Croft portrayers Angelina Jolie and Alicia Vikander. The Game of Thrones alum revealed she has been training eight hours daily, five days a week since February 2023, developing muscle for the first time in her life and managing a recurring back problem that emerged during the intense preparation.
"I've learned I have a perpetual back problem, but I also realised that it's much easier to kind of build muscle if you've ever worked out before in your life, which I never had," Turner admitted during an appearance on The Julia Cunningham Show. "So it has taken me months and months and months to get into good shape."
Filming Details and Co-Stars
During the British Museum filming session, Turner was joined by co-star Martin Bobb-Semple, who plays Lara Croft's sidekick Zip. Bobb-Semple wore a smart tuxedo jacket over a silk shirt between scenes. The production also features an impressive supporting cast including:
- Sigourney Weaver
- Jason Isaacs
- Jack Bannon
- Celia Imrie
Rigging equipment was visible outside the museum as filming commenced for what promises to be one of Prime Video's most ambitious original series launches.
Creative Team and Turner's Excitement
Fleabag creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge is serving as creator, writer, and executive producer for the new Tomb Raider adaptation. Waller-Bridge announced Turner's casting in September with enthusiastic praise: "I'm so excited to announce the formidable Sophie Turner as our Lara alongside this phenomenal creative team. It's not very often you get to make a show of this scale with a character you grew up loving."
Turner expressed both excitement and humility about taking on the legendary role: "I am thrilled beyond measure to be playing Lara Croft. She's such an iconic character, who means so much to so many - and I am giving everything I've got." She acknowledged the challenge of following Jolie and Vikander's performances but expressed confidence in Waller-Bridge's leadership.
From Westeros to Tomb Raiding
Despite her extensive experience on Game of Thrones, where she played Sansa Stark for eight seasons, Turner noted that her previous role didn't prepare her for Tomb Raider's physical demands. "No, I was the cool queen who, like, didn't have to do that. I also just kind of was the one that got beat up, not the one doing the beating," she explained. "So, it's quite nice to learn how to throw a punch and not just take it."
The actress reportedly beat out competition from Mackenzie Davis, Emma Mackey, and Lucy Boynton for the coveted role. The series represents a major career move for Turner following her Emmy-nominated performance in Game of Thrones and recent roles in ITV's Joan and the thriller Trust.
Inspired by the beloved video game franchise that began in the 1990s, the new Tomb Raider series will follow archaeologist and explorer Lara Croft on daring adventures. With filming now well underway and a heavyweight production team behind it, fans can expect the series to premiere on Amazon Prime Video in the coming months.
