The success rate of video games being adapted into full-length feature films is rather spotty. While some fans are eager to see a faithful adaptation of their favorite video game characters and storylines, another segment of fandom would rather see all-new stories told, which can quickly divide the two groups.
This is the reason why director Dan Trachtenberg plans to have Tom Holland explore Nathan Drake's life prior to the events of the first game in the live-action Uncharted movie.
“[I] have been approached with different versions of this tale,” Trachtenberg told GamesRadar, “and have always been not that interested in it because I didn't really want to trace the game.”
He added, “I didn't really feel like it was at all worthy of making a video game adaptation, [if] we're just gonna copy what the game is and just serve people a lesser experience than what they've experienced in such an incredible way.”
While Uncharted's lead, Nathan Drake, is usually portrayed as a middle-age adventurer, Holland will portray a younger version of the hard-luck hero. Development on the film has been ongoing since shortly after Uncharted: Drake's Fortune kicked the Naughty Dog franchise off in 2007. The video game franchise, which has existed exclusively on Sony's PlayStation consoles, has frequently earned comparisons to Indiana Jones and Tomb Raider thanks to its wise-cracking protagonist and thrilling action sequences.
Directed by Dan Trachtenberg, Uncharted stars Tom Holland and is set to be released on Dec. 18, 2020.