What the journey to make Uncharted can teach us about video game movies.
Fortunately, he was encouraging of the young star.
Ever heard of 1993’sSuper Mario Bros.?
Mark Wahlberg’s Sully and Tom Holland’s Nathan Drake hunt for treasure in ‘Uncharted’.Clay Enos/Columbia Pictures
How about 1997’sMortal Kombat: Annihilation?
Thomas Dean Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer were the first screenwriters to try their hands at developing the story.
Some things worked, some didn’t, such as the story’s supernatural element.
Tom Holland dons a games-accurate outfit as Nathan Drake in ‘Uncharted.'.Clay Enos/Columbia Pictures
“It’s really a treasure hunt movie.”
Executives at Sony “didn’t see eye to eye with David’s vision,” Wahlberg tells EW.
I’m willing to continue on this journey.’
That “if” began ringing louder afterpress reported Russell’s departurefromUnchartedin 2011 to makeSilver Linings Playbook.
Wahlberg hung on for a while longer, but eventually he, too, moved on to other projects.
(Guggenheim’s script had leaked online as part of the Sony hack of 2014.)
DirectorShawn Levy(Real Steel) eventually gaveUnchartedthe push it needed.
They would discuss what had been going on and where they could potentially go together in the future.
During one such meeting in a cafeteria at Sony headquarters, Rothman mentionedUncharted.
We really want a broadly accessible movie."
When Wahlberg heard Holland was playing Nate, reality settled in.
“Oh, now I’m the old guy,” he jokes.
“Well, I guess that’s how it is.”
Wahlberg came around to the benefit of the gig.
“Lethimwalk outta the water in his Speedo,” Wahlberg quips.
With Knight aboard, everything seemed like it was finally going to happen.
Holland admits all these filmmakers filtering in and out ofUnchartedwas concerning.
“I was convinced that we had our hands on something that could be incredibly popular.
It was just a grind,” he says.
“We had to ensure we found the right person for it.”
“It was stressful,” Holland adds.
“We were all guns blazing.”
But the spread of COVID-19 a few days earlier halted production.
A two-week hiatus turned into months, but it gave the team more time to shape the movie.
Elements like character introductions were added to the script as everyone hunkered down in isolation, according to Fleischer.
“I remember that being important that the villain and the hero meet each other,” he says.
“So, that’s why that little scene in the auction exists.”
All this time spent withUnchartedhas allowed the team to reflect on what makes a good video game movie.
“The fact that it’s based on this beloved franchise only enhances the experience.”
So, have they succeeded?
And that certainly aligns with what the majority of critics are saying.
Then there’s the box office.
Audiences already seem to find it entertaining, which was Fleischer’s goal.
(The Last of Us,Assassin’s Creed, moreResident Evil,Twisted Metal, etc.)
So, can a video game movie actually work?
The answer, it seems, depends on what you’re hunting for.
