When Uncharted 4: A Thief's End was released back in 2016, I immediately downloaded The Nathan Drake Collection and played through the entire series. Apart from the breathtaking vistas and action-packed shootouts, Naughty Dog's Uncharted franchise has offered us something far more than just a video game. It was an experience, one ripe with unforgettable characters, a brilliant storyline, and moments fans will cherish for a lifetime. It's safe to say I've been waiting forever for an Uncharted movie. I was among the very few who were excited for a Mark Wahlberg rendition of Nathan Drake, but when that fell through, my high hopes of the series ever reaching the big screen were erased.
Nearly nine years later, quite out of the blue, Sony announced the pre-development of an upcoming movie titled Uncharted. Set to release December 2020, Uncharted will feature a younger Nathan Drake meeting and growing up with his trusted mentor, Victor "Sully" Sullivan. Fans of the series will never forget when the cigar-toting loud mouth took a revolver round to the chest and lived. Nathan's thick journal, hidden in Sully's shirt pocket, had protected him from the bullet. Though players don't discover Sully's survival until much later in the first installment, that emotional impact felt by Nathan is shared with the player. The bond between Sully and Nathan goes beyond mere friendship, which is sure to be both interesting and heartfelt when presented on the silver screen.
Tom Holland, our brazen new Spider-Man, has been announced as this iteration's Nathan Drake. Players of Drake's Deception and A Thief's End will remember the portions of the game set with a vastly younger Drake. During these moments, you are leaping across buildings, climbing water pipes, and sliding down arched rooftops. Though it may sound like similar actions seen throughout the series, there's an uneasy feeling that comes with putting a young Drake in danger. With Holland's cat-like movements and acrobatic figure seen in his portrayal of Spidey, he's a perfect fit for this incarnation of the character.
Dan Trachtenberg, director of 10 Cloverfield Lane, is set to helm the project. Rumors are also circulating that Bryan Cranston may be involved. Trachtenberg stated while discussing the Breaking Bad star playing as Sully, "Cranston is awesome, it might be cool. But we're not there yet with that." Many excited fans are now hoping Cranston might play a villain of some sort, but it's still only speculation. Holland actually wanted Chris Pratt for the role of Sully, though it's doubtful that will be fulfilled. Originally written in 2017 by Joe Carnahan, the script is being edited and polished by Rafe Judkins, who has worked on TV shows like Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Chuck. The excitement for this upcoming film is steadily rising.
No word on a trailer, but fortunately, we can all look back on Nathan Fillion's superb fan-made version released last year. The Uncharted movie has seen a long history of setbacks, what with several directors bailing from the project, as well as little interest shown by big-name actors. One also must look at the painfully obvious fact that video game movies rarely do well at the box office. Look at me - I've not only been waiting years for Uncharted, but also a BioShock movie. Someone needs to make that happen already.
Skeptics will stay fearful, as a younger Nathan Drake may draw certain fans away. Even the involvement of Holland has sparked criticism, though Trachtenberg stamps this out. After praising Holland for his acting, he goes on to state:
"He might go a little bit older in a way that you realize. 'Oh, it's Nathan before the first game’, but it's not like Young Nate Drake. He's not playing Nathan in the flashbacks. This is actually just Nathan and Sully’s first adventure."
With a promising storyline and a video game backbone like no other, Uncharted is gearing up to be one explosive film that will, in some way, challenge the fandom while staying true to the roots of the franchise. Here's to hoping this upcoming film, much like the franchise for us avid fans, will prove to be another memorable escape. The treasure isn't always found at the bottom of a cave or in the darkness of an ancient tomb. No, treasures can be found in the moments spent basking in the beautiful surroundings, solving that annoying puzzle on the very first try, and witnessing the compassion shared between a cast of loving characters that always have each other's backs.
They may call it "uncharted," but the series sure has mapped the way to our hearts.