Like many films based on video games, the Uncharted movie has been sitting in production limbo for quite some time now. The film has been in development since 2009 with lots of setbacks and little to no progress, with one major exception. Back in 2017, Tom Holland was cast as protagonist Nathan Drake, a decision that turned some heads. In the Uncharted games, Drake is a 30-something adventuring rogue and, while the Spider-Man actor is certainly talented, he's quite young for the role. However, Holland recently addressed that exact criticism, and it turns out there's a good reason the role did not go to someone more age-appropriate: the film is an origin story.
Holland praised writer Joe Carnahan's Uncharted script, and revealed the movie will be a prequel that tells a story the games have never covered. While he doesn't mention any specifics, Holland notes that this is an advantage that Uncharted has over past video game adaptations, and he makes a good point. Instead of focusing on trying to replicate gameplay and iconic video game features, a focus on story and world-building seems to be a better approach to the genre.
Video game movies have historically been pretty bad. Until fairly recently, film adaptations of popular gaming franchises have almost all been critical and financial failures. A few are still appreciated by fans despite their flaws, but most of them simply don't work conceptually. Some, like Assassin's Creed, stray too far from their source material and misunderstand what makes the games great. Others, like Super Mario Bros., try to apply video game concepts to the real world and completely miss the mark. However, if a film focuses on the world of the game rather than the game itself, it has the potential to expand on the source material rather than simply trying to copy what already exists.
The origin story approach could work well for Uncharted, as it would free the movie from the restrictions of typical adaptations like replicating story beats or mimicking gameplay. It would also allow for Holland to grow into the role over the course of several films, assuming the first does well enough to warrant sequels. The fact that Uncharted takes place in a mostly realistic world helps quite a bit, as the movie won't need to establish a new world like Detective Pikachu or try to explain why a fantasy creature is in the real world like Sonic the Hedgehog. This will allow the story to focus on what matters most in movies, like characterization and relationships.
This is not to say that story isn't important in video games, but some adaptations have wrongfully focused on copying the gaming experience itself. Film and video games are different mediums with their own limitations and advantages, so a movie will never be able to fully recreate a gameplay experience. Instead, an adaptation should be used as an opportunity to flesh out the game's world and characters.
Aside from some climbing, shooting, and globe-trotting, the Uncharted film doesn't need to work too hard to adapt the games faithfully. What fans care about is an authentic interpretation of the heroes they love. It's important that the characters retain their personalities from the games, and they can be better fleshed out with an origin story.
A story-focused Uncharted prequel has the potential to be the first truly great video game movie. Of course, this might just be wishful thinking. After all, there are plenty of indicators that the film won't turn out well (if it ever releases at all). The movie has lost several directors, and the only other cast member currently announced is Mark Wahlberg as Sully, Drake's elderly mentor. Still, regardless of how the final product comes out, it appears that the filmmakers are taking the right approach with Uncharted, something others hoping to adapt beloved gaming franchises should keep in mind.
Uncharted stars Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg. The film is scheduled to hit theaters March 5, 2021.