It seems like Sony hasn't quite given up just yet on getting an Uncharted movie off the ground. Numerous directors have been attached at one time or another, with all of them eventually dropping out, but now Sony has found a new writer to push an Uncharted film into being a real actual thing. They've hired a pretty good one too, with plenty of experience in both gritty and silly action. Writer, director, and producer (a triple threat!) Joe Carnahan will be the latest writer to try his hand at a script.
According to Variety, Sony has hired Joe Carnahan to pen the latest draft of the video game adaptation. Carnahan is a fairly accomplished filmmaker, having written and directed films like The A-Team, Smoking Aces, and the genuinely good The Grey. He's also dabbled in the world of TV, working on episodes of The Blacklist and State of Affairs. As to why Carnahan won't also direct the film - something he'd be a good pick for - the director says that he can't find time in his schedule. The next film he'll be directing is Bad Boys 3, which will reunite Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. That begins filming once Will Smith wraps up Bright with David Ayer, thus creating a conflict with Uncharted. As much as Carnahan says he'd love to do both films, he'll have to settle for just a writing credit on Uncharted.
For any who don't know, Uncharted is a series of video games on the Playstation system that follow explorer Nathan Drake (who is totally not Indiana Jones) as he scours the globe looking for ancient artifacts and other such things. The game is known for its intense cinematic action, making it easier to translate onto the big screen than most video games. Some might argue that the specific appeal of Uncharted is playing it, but it's always possible that it could be an exciting film. There's always room in the world for a modern day Indian Jones.
The path to an Uncharted movie has been rocky, though. Plenty of directors have signed on to the adaptation before parting ways. Such names include David O'Russell, Neil Burger and most recently Seth Gordon. Even Seth Rogen and Ethan Goldberg - no strangers to making adaptations of beloved source material - have turned down bringing the project to life. It's tough to say with a lot of confidence that Joe Carnahan's version will be THE version that finally makes it to theaters, given how many times Sony has tried in the past, but this feels like a step in the right direction.
An Uncharted movie is definitely going to happen, but the jury is still out on when that will be exactly. We'll keep updating as more information becomes available so keep checking back in with Cinema Blend.
