Regulator found missing exposure monitoring during paint spraying, with production later correcting the breach
Sophie Turner leading a large-scale reimagining of the iconic franchise. Photo: Amazon MGM Studios
The production of Amazon MGM Studios’ upcoming Tomb Raider series breached UK health and safety regulations during filming earlier this year, according to findings by Britain’s Health and Safety Executive.
The regulator determined that Project Temple Productions Ltd, the production company established for the Sophie Turner led series, breached requirements under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002. The findings relate to work involving the spraying of isocyanate paints at Shinfield Studios in Berkshire.
According to the enforcement action reported by Deadline, Project Temple failed to ensure that crew members underwent biological monitoring to establish whether measures designed to control exposure to isocyanate paints were effective.
Isocyanates are chemicals commonly used in certain paints and coatings and can cause occupational asthma when workers are exposed to them. The HSE has specific guidance for work involving sprayed isocyanate paints, including the use of suitable personal protective equipment and measures to control exposure.
The regulator also warns that spraying can produce an invisible mist that may remain in the air for up to 20 minutes. Employers are expected to understand how long the mist takes to clear within the particular space where spraying takes place.
HSE issued an improvement notice against Project Temple in April 2026, requiring the company to address the identified safety failure. The notice was not a prosecution or a reported fine. HSE records indicate that Project Temple subsequently complied with the relevant requirements within a month.
The safety finding concerns the production company rather than Turner personally. The actress plays Lara Croft in the new live action series, which is being developed for Prime Video by Phoebe Waller Bridge. Amazon MGM Studios declined to comment on the HSE finding when approached by Deadline.
The production has already faced another setback this year. Filming was temporarily paused in March after Turner sustained a minor injury during production. Amazon MGM Studios confirmed at the time that production had been briefly halted as a precaution to allow Turner to recover before filming resumed.
The injury and the later HSE finding are separate production matters, with no evidence presented by the regulator linking Turner’s injury to the workplace safety breach.
The series began production in January, with Turner taking over the role of Lara Croft following previous big screen portrayals by Angelina Jolie and Alicia Vikander. Waller Bridge created and wrote the series and serves as an executive producer and co showrunner alongside Chad Hodge.
Jonathan Van Tulleken is directing and executive producing the series. The cast also includes Sigourney Weaver, Jason Isaacs, Martin Bobb Semple, Jack Bannon, John Heffernan, Bill Paterson, Paterson Joseph, Sasha Luss, Juliette Motamed, Celia Imrie and August Wittgenstein.
The new series is being produced by Amazon MGM Studios for Prime Video in collaboration with Crystal Dynamics, the video game company behind the Tomb Raider franchise. The production has kept major story details under wraps, although the project is expected to establish a new television interpretation of Lara Croft.
