If one gaming executive’s assessment of the forthcoming Uncharted movie is correct, we may be headed for a kind of cinematic renaissance of video game movie adaptions.
That’s according to a new report from ComicBook, in which Naughty Dog Co-President Neil Druckmann was quoted as saying the film’s director worked to make it appeal to both longtime gamers familiar with the saga and newcomers as well.
Druckmann shared in a blog post that director Ruben Fleischer has told him that he specifically crafted the film “for both hardcore fans of the game and those not yet familiar with the franchise.” He added that the director believes “that both will be equally entertained by this incredibly fun and action-packed film.”
The film stars Tom Holland as Nathan Drake and Mark Wahlberg as his mentor, Sully.
This news comes on the heels of other videogame adaptions in the works, such as an animated Mario movie with which studio Illumination consulted directly with Nintendo and a forthcoming Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City movie touted to stay more true to its source material. And if the trend of recently well-helmed game adaptations for films like Mortal Kombat, Detective Pikachu, and Sonic are any indication, we may be reaching a point where Hollywood can actually deliver a decent flick from a video game property. Historically, most video game movies have been almost universally panned upon release.
The Uncharted games follow treasure hunter Nathan and his friend Sully as they traverse the globe seeking fame and fortune while dodging bad guys along the way. The film is slated for release in theaters on February 18th, 2022.