Video game film adaptations have something of a reputation among audiences. That has not stopped actor Tom Holland from remaining optimistic about the long-gestating Uncharted movie.
The Spider-Man: Far From Home actor feels that the movie's potential lies in the story looking to the past rather than attempting to deliver the version of Nathan Drake that fans already know. "What Uncharted offers that most video games films don't is that it's an origin story to the games," Holland told IGN. He then assured audiences that the upcoming film will be a new experience, even for those who are already familiar with Drake, "If you played the games, you haven't seen what's going to happen in the film."
He then praised the latest script, describing it with excitement, "I'm super excited to make that movie and it's been a long time coming. I read the newest draft of the script... and it's one of the best scripts I've ever read. It really, really jumps off the page."
The video games have previously introduced a younger version of treasure hunter Drake in Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, which revealed how Drake first met his mentor, Sully, who will be played in the movie by Mark Wahlberg. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End developed the hero's backstory further, with the game's introductory chapters revolving around Drake's childhood in an orphanage and his older brother, Sam.
The Uncharted film adaptation has had a difficult journey in bringing its story to the big screen. Film producer Avi Arad originally revealed he was working with a division of Sony to develop a film version back in 2008. The movie lost its sixth director in December 2019 after Travis Knight left the project due to reported scheduling conflicts. The release of the film has subsequently been pushed back, though a new director has yet to be attached to the project. It's rumored that Venom and Zombieland director Ruben Fleischer may be the one to take the reigns.
Uncharted stars Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg. The film is scheduled to hit theaters March 5, 2021.