Naughty Dog certainly know how to make great games with compelling story lines. Apocalyptic plague epic “The Last of Us” is rated among the best single player games of all time according to many critics. The studio are also behind the successful Uncharted franchise, which follows the exploits of treasure hunter Nathan Drake as he travels the world in search of fortune. Fans of the game can now prepare themselves for seeing Drake appear on the big screen for the first time.
In an interview with Collider, screenwriter Joe Carnahan spoke about being tasked with writing a new Uncharted film. Carnahan is the mind behind films such as “Narc,” “Smokin’ Aces,” and “The Grey,” and he intends to make the story of the Uncharted film not a lift of the script from the games, but a stand alone movie that features some of the familiar characters involved.
Similarities between Nathan Drake and Indiana Jones could be forgiven. Carnahan and Director Shawn Levy who is also working on the project, are confident that this film could be almost classed as Anti-Indiana Jones, describing the films main protagonist as being, “A thief and he’s a grifter, and he’s a scourge. He and Sully are not good guys but they’re better than the bad guys.”
Carnahan spoke of how he is trying not to be beholden to the existing fan base of the game, he is aware that Uncharted has many followers. He wants to be able to use his own creative license when it comes to the films plot, and if that upsets fan lobbies then so be it. He does state, however, that he can’t see the screenplay being a problem for “fanboys,” who in his words are “massively over-represented in Hollywood.”
Nathan Drake’s partner in crime, Sully, will also feature heavily in the movie. This is something that will affect the casting of both characters. Carnahan’s first choice to play Drake would be Nolan North, the actor who plays him in the game, but he concedes that there is a lot at work behind the scenes when it comes to choosing actors for film projects. One name that has been connected with the project is A-List actor Mark Wahlberg, but again many factors are in play, and we won’t know who has the role until a later date. The production team are aiming for a PG-13 certificate so as make the film accessible to a key target audience.
Movies made about games may not be the most successful marriage in Hollywood history, but the background material that Sony Pictures has to work with could make the Uncharted movie pleasantly buck the trend. Perhaps it could even win over fans, and people who are unfamiliar with the exploits of Nathan Drake all together.