So, you’re looking for the new Lara Croft movie trailer. I get it. We’ve all been scrolling through YouTube, clicking on those high-res thumbnails that promise a "First Look" or a "2026 Teaser." Here is the cold, hard truth: those videos are almost certainly fan-made AI concepts.
If you see Megan Fox or a digitally aged Angelina Jolie in a tomb, it’s a fake.
The real story is actually much more interesting, though. We aren’t getting a traditional "movie" sequel to the 2018 Alicia Vikander film. That project is dead. Buried. Instead, Amazon MGM Studios is currently in the middle of a massive "unified universe" relaunch. We just got the very first official look at the new Lara Croft, and honestly, the internet is kind of losing its mind over it.
The Sophie Turner reveal and that first "Look"
On January 15, 2026, Amazon finally stopped playing coy and dropped the first official image of Sophie Turner as Lara Croft. It wasn't a full trailer, but a high-fidelity wardrobe test shot to mark the start of production.
She’s rocking the classic teal tank top. The brown shorts are back. The dual pistols are strapped to her thighs.
It feels like a direct love letter to the 1996 original game rather than the "survivor" grit we saw with Vikander. Turner, who most of us know as Sansa Stark from Game of Thrones, looks surprisingly at home in the gear. She’s got the braid. She’s got the fingerless gloves. Most importantly, she looks like she’s actually having fun with the role, which is a vibe the franchise has missed lately.
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Why you won't see a "Movie" trailer soon
Here is where people get confused. This isn't a standalone film. It’s a massive, big-budget live-action series for Prime Video. Phoebe Waller-Bridge—the genius behind Fleabag—is the showrunner and writer.
Think about that for a second. The woman who redefined modern TV comedy is writing Lara Croft.
Because they literally just started principal photography in January 2026, a real Lara Croft movie trailer (or series teaser) likely won't hit our screens until late summer or fall of 2026. They need time for the stunts. They need time for the CGI tombs. Amazon is betting the house on this, treating it with the same "prestige" weight as The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
The cast is actually stacked
Usually, these reboots feel a bit hollow. Not this one. The casting news that dropped alongside the first look is genuinely wild.
- Sigourney Weaver is playing a character named Evelyn Wallis. She’s described as a "high-flying woman" who wants to exploit Lara’s talents. Basically, a corporate antagonist.
- Jason Isaacs is playing Atlas DeMornay. For the deep-lore fans, that’s Lara’s uncle from the games.
- Martin Bobb-Semple has been cast as Zip, Lara’s classic tech-support buddy.
- Bill Paterson is Winston the butler. Yes, we are finally getting the manor and the butler back.
It’s a mix of game-canon royalty and new faces. Jonathan Van Tulleken, who did incredible work on Shōgun, is directing. That gives me a lot of hope that the action will feel "heavy" and real, not just bouncy green-screen fluff.
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What happened to Alicia Vikander’s Tomb Raider 2?
A lot of people are still asking why we aren't seeing a trailer for the sequel to the 2018 movie. Basically, MGM (the studio that owned the rights) took too long to greenlight it. There was a deadline in May 2022. They missed it.
The rights went up for auction, and Amazon swooped in with a mountain of cash.
Alicia Vikander was reportedly "ready and willing" to return, and Misha Green (Lovecraft Country) even had a script draft ready. But when the rights shifted, the slate was wiped clean. It sucks for fans of that specific gritty origin story, but the "politics" of Hollywood—as Vikander herself put it—simply killed the project.
The "Unified" strategy
Amazon isn't just making a show. They are trying to do what Marvel did, but for tomb raiding.
There are two new games coming: Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis (a remake of the original) and Tomb Raider: Catalyst. The plan is for the games, this new Sophie Turner series, and future films to all inhabit the same timeline. It’s ambitious. Maybe too ambitious? We’ll see. But it explains why the marketing is so controlled and why we haven't seen a "leak" of a trailer yet. They are waiting for the perfect moment to launch the whole ecosystem.
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How to spot the fakes
If you're still hunting for that Lara Croft movie trailer on social media, keep these "Fake Check" tips in mind:
- The "Concept" Tag: Look at the description. 99% of them say "Concept Trailer" in tiny letters at the bottom.
- Voice-over: If the dialogue sounds a bit robotic or doesn't quite match the lip movements, it's AI.
- The Faces: If Lara looks exactly like a specific famous actress who hasn't been announced (like Megan Fox or Gal Gadot), it’s 100% fake.
What to do while you wait
Since the real footage is still months away, the best move is to keep an eye on official Prime Video social channels. Production is happening right now in the UK and various international locations.
Expect a "Behind the Scenes" featurette around mid-2026 before the actual trailer drops. In the meantime, the Netflix animated series The Legend of Lara Croft is actually canon to the survivor games if you need a fix, and the remasters of the original trilogy are available on almost every platform.
Stay skeptical of the YouTube "Leaked" trailers. The real deal is coming, but it's still cooking in the oven. Keep your eyes peeled for late 2026.
Pro Tip: Follow Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s production company, Wells Street Films, or Amazon MGM Studios on LinkedIn and X. That's usually where the first "official" crumbs of footage actually land before they hit the massive YouTube trailer channels.