From Tomb Raider to Silent Hill and now to Assassin’s Creed, Hollywood is determined to make a successful movie to video game adaption. A couple of years ago it was announced that Naughty Dog’s hugely successful Uncharted game would also be getting the big screen treatment. Since then, however, movie development has been slow due to several changes in directors like Neil Burger (Divergent), Seth Gordon (Horrible Bosses), and David O. Russell (Joy) who have all had their name attached to the project at some point.
Despite the directors who have come and gone, the most consistent aspect of the Uncharted movie development has been actor Mark Wahlberg’s attachment to the project. That’s gone now, too. On Monday, Wahlberg confirmed in an interview with We Got This Covered that “As of now, no, I’m not attached.” This announcement is either to the relief or dismay of Uncharted fans.
For years, Wahlberg was rumored to play the famed series hero, Nathan Drake, a self-proclaimed descendant of the legendary explorer Sir Francis Drake. However, that was during the time when David O. Russell (American Hustle) was said to be directing the film. The project has since been handed over to Shawn Levy (Reel Steel), who is ready to begin filming as early as next year. That may be a little difficult with no Nathan Drake.
The Uncharted series consists of four core games, the last of which was released earlier this year in May. The games are deeply rooted in history and legend and packed with a large amount of action that could easily translate well to film. Despite this, the development of the Uncharted movie has been met with both enthusiasm and skepticism from fans. On one hand, the Uncharted games are a cinematic experience in their own right, and therefore they don’t need really to start making them into films. On the other, given that the games are so cinematic and have substantial storylines, making a film should be simple. Sadly, we all know Hollywood’s ability to make great movies from video games is rather questionable. Let us know below if you’re sad to see Mark Wahlberg go, or who you think should play Nathan Drake!
