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Watch order

Tomb Raider film & TV timeline

Angelina Jolie's early-2000s films, Alicia Vikander's 2018 reboot, and Netflix's Legend of Lara Croft animated series in US release order—with three separate storylines and a clear split from the games on Tomb Raider games timeline.

Updated July 2026

Release order

When each Tomb Raider film or Netflix season premiered in the US—one entry per theatrical film or full season drop. Jolie's two films (2001–2003), Vikander's reboot (2018), and Legend of Lara Croft seasons 1–2 (2024–2025) are separate branches.

  • Jolie films only → 2001 → The Cradle of Life (2003)
  • After the games → play Tomb Raider (2013), Rise, and Shadow, then Netflix S1 → S2
  • Netflix only → Legend S1 → S2 (continues the 2013–2018 game story)
  • Vikander film (2018) → optional; inspired by the 2013 game but a different plot—watch anytime or skip
Story order tips

When events happen in each adaptation's fiction—Jolie's globe-hopping adventures, Vikander's separate Yamatai origin story, and Netflix picking up right after the 2013–2018 game trilogy. None of these entries belong on the game Story tab on Tomb Raider games timeline.

  • Jolie universe → 2001 Illuminati plot → 2003 Pandora's Box quest—standalone Hollywood arc
  • Vikander film → young Lara before the 2013 game in spirit—similar setup, different story details
  • Netflix → directly after Shadow of the Tomb Raider (2018 game)—Season 2 continues Season 1
  • Do not merge Jolie film years into game story-order titles on Tomb Raider games timeline

Timeline

When each season premiered in the US. Expand a row for dates and where it fits in your watch order.

Release order

  1. Lara Croft: Tomb Raider

    Lara Croft: Tomb Raider

    TheatricalFilmLive-action

    Angelina Jolie’s Lara races the Illuminati for the Triangle of Light across Cambodia and other globe-trotting set pieces. Simon West’s blockbuster launched the early-2000s Hollywood Lara—iconic dual pistols and mansion cool, not a beat-for-beat game adaptation.

    Overview
    Paramount’s first Tomb Raider feature locked Jolie as the face of the franchise for a generation and sold adventure-serial spectacle over survival grit. It established a self-contained film continuity that never needed Crystal Dynamics’ later reboot lore.
    Related games
    Loosely inspired by Tomb Raider (1996)—not tied to any game plot. Full game order lives on Tomb Raider games.
    Where it fits
    Start here only for the Jolie two-film arc. Skip if you want the 2013-game Netflix path or the Vikander reboot—those are separate branches.
    Premiere dates
    US theatrical premiere June 15, 2001 (Paramount); later DVD, Blu-ray, and streaming editions.
  2. Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life

    Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life

    TheatricalFilmLive-action

    Jolie returns as Lara hunts Pandora’s Box with a new villainous partner, leaping from Greece and Africa to China. Jan de Bont’s sequel ups stunt scale and globe-hopping while staying inside the Jolie-only Hollywood continuity.

    Overview
    Bigger set pieces and a more globe-spanning MacGuffin push the second film past mansion-and-Illuminati vibes into pure action sequel mode. It closes the Jolie theatrical pair—no third film followed.
    Related games
    Standalone Hollywood sequel—no link to the Survivor trilogy games or Netflix. Compare games on Tomb Raider games.
    Where it fits
    Watch after the 2001 film in Jolie release order. Do not sequence into Vikander (2018) or Legend of Lara Croft as if they continue this plot.
    Premiere dates
    US theatrical premiere July 25, 2003; subsequent home-video and digital releases.
  3. Tomb Raider

    Tomb Raider

    TheatricalFilmLive-action

    Alicia Vikander plays a younger Lara who leaves London courier life for a Yamatai expedition tied to her missing father. Roar Uthaug’s reboot echoes the 2013 game’s island setup—Himiko, Trinity shadows—then tells a different story than Crystal Dynamics’ trilogy.

    Overview
    A grounded origin reboot discarded Jolie’s Illuminati toys for bruising survival action and a first-adventure tone. It shares Yamatai DNA with the 2013 game without adapting that plot beat-for-beat—or setting up Netflix’s later animated continuation.
    Related games
    Inspired by Tomb Raider (2013), not the same plot as the game or Netflix. Trilogy and series context on Tomb Raider games.
    Where it fits
    Optional anytime as its own branch. Netflix Legend of Lara Croft assumes you finished the 2013–2018 games, not this film—sequel plans were cancelled.
    Premiere dates
    US theatrical premiere March 16, 2018—about six months before Shadow of the Tomb Raider (September 14, 2018); later home video and streaming.
  4. Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft — Season 1

    Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft — Season 1

    NetflixTV seriesAnimation

    Eight animated episodes voice Lara (Hayley Atwell) in the aftermath of Shadow of the Tomb Raider, chasing a new threat with Crystal Dynamics story oversight. It is the first screen project that openly continues the 2013–2018 game trilogy instead of rebooting Lara again.

    Overview
    Powerhouse Animation’s Netflix series treats the Survivor trilogy as finished canon and asks what Lara does next. Adult, globe-trotting adventures replace origin-story beats—the opposite of Vikander’s first-adventure film.
    Related games
    Continues the 2013–2018 trilogy—does not follow the Vikander film. Play or recap via Tomb Raider games before bingeing.
    Where it fits
    Start here for Netflix-only viewers who know how Shadow ends. Watch Season 1 → Season 2; ignore Jolie films and Vikander for this path.
    Premiere dates
    US Netflix premiere October 10, 2024—all eight episodes dropped the same day.
  5. Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft — Season 2

    Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft — Season 2

    NetflixTV seriesAnimation

    Eight episodes close the animated series as Tasha Huo’s show wraps Season 1 threads in a final full-drop season. It remains the game-storyline continuation—still separate from Jolie Hollywood and Vikander’s cancelled sequel lane.

    Overview
    Season 2 is explicitly final for this Netflix run, giving the animated arc a planned endpoint rather than an open reboot loop. It keeps Crystal Dynamics’ Survivor Lara voice while bridging toward future game-era projects discussed in FAQs.
    Related games
    Direct continuation of Season 1 in the game storyline. Upcoming game context sits on Tomb Raider games.
    Where it fits
    Watch immediately after Season 1—one continuous Netflix story. Not a sequel to the 2018 Vikander film.
    Premiere dates
    US Netflix premiere December 11, 2025—all eight episodes same-day drop.

FAQ

Which movie universe to pick, Jolie vs Vikander vs Netflix, game links, and cancelled sequels.

Watch order

Canon & games

The Tomb Raider games timeline (Tomb Raider games timeline) covers every main game from 1996 through Legacy of Atlantis (2027). This page lists theatrical films and the Netflix animated series only.

Jolie films (2001–2003) — their own Hollywood story. Vikander reboot (2018) — a separate film based on the 2013 game, not the same plot. Netflix Legend of Lara Croft — continues the 2013–2018 game trilogy after Shadow of the Tomb Raider. Watching one branch does not replace playing the games.

No. Pick one branch: Jolie (2001 → 2003), Vikander reboot (2018 alone—sequel cancelled), or Netflix (S1 → S2 after the 2013–2018 games). They do not connect to each other.

Optional & extras

More timelines

Other release-order and story-order guides on this site.