Oh, Uncharted. You just can’t catch a break.
The film adaptation of the popular PlayStation video game has had its fair share of directors. And its fair share of loss. Every time a filmmaker becomes attached to the project, said filmmaker then quickly leaves. A few months back we heard that Dan Trachtenberg, the man behind 10 Cloverfield Lane, was no longer directing the movie. That left star Tom Holland without a captain to steer his long-in-development ship.
But have no fear, Nathan Drake fans! Shortly after Trachtenberg’s departure it was announced that Travis Knight, of Laika and Bumblebee fame, would direct the feature. Joy!
Well, things have changed. Deadline is reporting that Knight is also exiting the picture because of conflicts arising from Holland’s Spider-Man shooting schedule. So once again Uncharted is left director-less and once again fans wonder if this movie will ever make it to the big screen.
The answer is yes, it will eventually get made. Sony knows that this could be a big hit and they’re desperate for successful IP. The movie will definitely happen, it’s just a matter of when. Holland (and co-star Mark Wahlberg) have been attached for quite some time but you have to wonder how much longer they will stick around. I’d be getting sick of all this waiting if I were them. It’s very possible that the entire project will get re-worked, lose its whole cast and just start over from scratch.
The Uncharted games seem tailor-made for a big screen adaptation so it’s a real head-scratcher as to why Sony is having such a hard time getting this thing off the ground. Obviously scheduling conflicts are real and pose serious problems for a production but you’d think the studio would be putting greater emphasis on getting the project made. It could be money in the bank. And a lot of money too, because the video game series is wildly popular. In a world where Marvel and Disney have gobbled up so much at the box office, Sony wants original franchises that can do serious business and Uncharted seems like one of their best shots at just that. So come on, Sony. Find a director to shoot this damn movie and make it happen. You’re only hurting yourself at this point.