The Uncharted movie is FINALLY happening, says star Tom Holland. According to the actor, production begins in four weeks, at which point he’ll step into the shoes of a young Nathan Drake and Mark Wahlberg will take on the role of Sully, Drake’s old, crusty pal and sudo mentor.
The reaction upon casting both Holland and Wahlberg in their respective parts was met with some skepticism at first. Holland seemed way too young to be playing our hero and Wahlberg also felt like an odd choice considering his age and usual physique. But based on Holland’s comments, his co-star’s performance will win back fans.
“Mark Wahlberg is going to be amazing as Sully,” said Holland while speaking to IGN. “The stunt department that we have out there in Berlin have done an amazing job already, prepping the stunts, and it’s going to be an exciting one.”
I mean, what else is Holland supposed to say? Of course he’s going to praise his colleague before production begins. I’d be worried if he didn’t. But can Wahlberg really play a crusty old guy at this stage of his career? The only comparative performance I can think of is in The Other Guys, where he was a veteran cop who’s always pissed off because he hates his new partner. Not to mention problems at home with the ex-girlfriend. Based on that, I guess he can pull off a “Get off my lawn” guy. He also has to be charming though, as Wahlberg is usually the bad boy.
But there’s plenty of room for interpretation. Both actors are supposed to be playing younger versions of the video game characters, after all. And according to Holland, while there will certainly be nods to the games, the movie version will attempt to stand on its own two feet.
“There was definitely a lot of inspiration that came from the games, but it’s a very young, fresh take on the character because, obviously, we didn’t get to meet him all that much when he was younger,” Holland explained. “But it’s a pretty awesome movie, and it’s global. We travel the world, we see some amazing places, and Mark Wahlberg and I are going to have a great summer together.”
Sony is certainly aiming for this to be the start of a new franchise, as video game adaptations are finally beginning to turn things around. The latest Tomb Raider was actually quite good and Sonic the Hedgehog is breaking box office records.
Uncharted will undoubtedly be the most expensive video game film since Prince of Persia though. The games are practically playable movies with incredible visuals and cinematic cut scenes, after all. The question producers always have to ask themselves when doing a video game movie then is: will fans enjoy watching this, or would they rather be at home playing it? It’s the biggest hurdle to overcome. But if you ask Holland, everything’s going to be great.