Netflix's 2D animated series explores Chinese mythology

There were two things Tasha Huo (“The Witcher: Blood Origin”) wanted to accomplish as showrunner of the 2D animated series “Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft” (currently streaming on Netflix). She wanted to make the tough archaeologist/adventurer more vulnerable and explore Chinese mythology.

“In video games, she's always been a superhero,” Huo told IndieWire, “but in a TV show we learn more about her emotional state, where you want to see her grow out of something difficult.” That's always been the case for me a starting point to find a low point for them. And how does Lara Croft get out of a slump? It’s going to be even more epic because of her personality and the adventure we’re taking her on.”

Legendary Television's eight-episode animated series bridges the Survivor reboot video game trilogy and the original games from the '90s. Lara (voiced by Hayley Atwell) abandons her friends but returns home, where a thief steals a mysterious Chinese jade stone from Croft Manor. So her journey around the world and the search for graves ultimately forces her to deal with the grief over the loss of her father and her mentor.

“I didn’t want to ignore that,” Huo continued. “I wanted to address it, but I wanted her to get over it. Who is she now? How can she become the independent, confident and self-controlled person that we remember her growing up to be since the 90s?”

But the theft of the jade stone turns out to be part of a larger mystery tied to Chinese mythology. The adventure takes Lara and her friend Jonah (Earl Baylon from the video game) to China, where they learn about a complementary ruby ​​stone. Together, the stones provide immense supernatural power.

“I've wanted to tell a story within Chinese mythology for a long time,” Huo added, “because that's my background and something I haven't been able to explore (until now).” And it felt like a natural fit for something that Laura would dive deep into.”

Huo based his work on the “Four Dangers,” animals that symbolize gluttony, chaos, cruelty and violence. “It's more of a larger concept, and in this version they're actually contained in something tangible,” Huo said.

The colorful 2D animation from Powerhouse Animation Studios in Austin, Texas, has a graphic, illustrative style that is also very cinematic, with noirish lighting, a handheld camera and strong atmosphere.

“The 2D animation is unique and super cool,” Huo added. “We do a lot of things you're not supposed to do in animation. You go underwater. There is a lot of wind, rain, sleet, hail, storms, dust. They travel everywhere, change their outfits. So we’re really pushing the boundaries of what I think is important.”

The first set piece is a thrilling chase in an underground tomb in Episode 2 (“A Set of Lies Agreed to”), where Lara and Jonah search for missing children and encounter a monstrous, surging fox spirit, flowing lava and a Passageway there you will find an ancient temple surrounded by ethereal, glowing butterflies.

“It’s not just a big set piece,” Huo said. “The fox spirit has a purpose. In fact, it leads her in a certain way, and she has to look beyond the monster to truly understand it. This will be an important part of Episode 2. The first image was always that you see a fox and the way it moves, it had to feel like a fox. But at some point it transforms into a larger form and you realize it's a creature made up of different parts, which was really interesting. And it flows like smoke. It is important that it retains its shape but also feels dangerous. It's great to create these monsters that she faces. It's been in the IP since day one. So it’s cool to add some things to the canon.”