With Uncharted days away from its theatrical debut, it might be natural to question whether it can be enjoyed by those who haven’t played the video games it’s based on. However, according to those behind the scenes of the film, there’s nothing to worry about.
Variety shared a conversation with some of the ‘Uncharted’ crew about the film, who believe that knowledge of the games’ storyline isn’t essential to enjoy the adaptation.
“Fans will feel the inspiration pulling from what’s genius about the franchise,” Atlas Entertainment’s Alex Gartner said.
“Our gut said to tell a fresh story, so there’s something for everybody, whether or not you’re familiar with the IP.”
Atlas, with Avi Arad, Ari Arad and Charles Roven, produced Uncharted, which stars Mark Wahlberg, Tom Holland and Antonio Banderas. The story being told in Uncharted isn’t identical to one you’ll find in a game, according to costume designer Marlene Stewart.
“There is no game that reflects this particular chapter,” Stewart said.
“It’s kind of a new world and yet we wanted to be very conscious of all the fans who have played this video game.”
The film’s composer, Ramin Djawadi, also shared that there are familiar locations that fans will immediately recognize, but that the overarching story arc does not require a knowledge of the video game.
“We thought, ‘What would be a good spot to drop this in?’ The battle at the end,” Djawadi said.
“Visually there are things very close to the game, and we could make it fun for the people who know it.”
Uncharted hits theaters on Feb. 18.