Sony’s blockbuster video game adaptation Uncharted is finally coming to theaters next month, at least it will be if it doesn’t get delayed again, and it’s been a long time coming.
The project first entered development in 2008, when current leading man Tom Holland was only twelve years old. David O. Russell was aiming to bring the console favorite to life with Mark Wahlberg, Robert De Niro, and Joe Pesci in the three main roles, but it ultimately fell apart and drifted back into the ether.
At various points Neil Burger, Shawn Levy, Dan Trachtenberg, and Travis Knight were all announced to be helming Uncharted, with Holland boarding the potential franchise-starter in May 2017. However, Ruben Fleischer wasn’t confirmed to be stepping behind the camera until January 2020, so it’s understandable that the actor found the process so stressful, as he revealed to Total Film.
“Some of [the directors] came in, and had ideas that we didn’t like, that just didn’t fit the characters, and we had to move on to other people. We took inspiration from everyone. There were very different variations of [Nathan] Drake, and very different variations of [Victor “Sully” Sullivan]. Some people preferred to make the game, some people wanted to make it completely different to the game. It’s quite stressful looking for a director.”
Is Uncharted going to be worth the hassle at the end of the day? Well, that remains very much up for debate. The footage we’ve seen so far has promised a lightweight, breezy and possibly even entertaining trip to the theater, and Holland is one of the most popular stars in the industry right now, so perhaps Nathan Drake’s live-action debut will justify those fourteen years spent trying escape development hell.
