Criticism has been high in regards to the upcoming “Uncharted” feature from the game’s fan community.
After all, treasure hunter and PlayStation icon Nathan Drake has always been portrayed as a man in his 30s or 40s during his adventures from El Dorado and Shambhala to Ubar and Libertalia, though we have seen flashbacks to his childhood and early teens.
With the new film though British actor Tom Holland is taking on the part, playing Drake in his early 20s and just starting out on treasure hunting with an also much younger Victor ‘Sully’ Sullivan (played by Mark Wahlberg).
The upside to that approach is it can fit into the game series’ continuity without much trouble. The downside is the casting just seems nothing like the game. Actor Nolan North, who has voiced and mo-capped Nathan Drake in the games since the beginning, says he’s all for the approach they’ve taken. He tells ComicBookMovie.com:
“I’m actually looking forward to it, and I think people should look forward to it. Give them a chance. We’ve never seen Nathan Drake in his 20s and a Sully in his 40s. It could be interesting. I like the fact they’re going to do a different spin on it and I’m looking forward to seeing how they do. I like Tom Holland, I like Mark Wahlberg, I enjoy their films, so let them put their spin on it.
The bigger mistake would be trying to get someone who looks like Nathan Drake and literally just take one of the games and follow it as a movie. The games are already movies on their own, so don’t do that. Do what you’re doing. Show me Nathan Drake in his 20s, show me some artistic license, and make it your own.”
North confirms he has not been asked to cameo in the upcoming release: “No, they haven’t contacted me at all. Part of me is fine with it, and part of me is like, ‘It’d be nice if you asked!’ It’s not a big deal.”
The film is currently in production in Berlin ahead of a planned release in July next year.