Sony's live-action adaptation of Naughty Dog's Uncharted franchise is set to be the first big blockbuster of the new year. Uncharted will blend characters and narratives from Naughty Dog's beloved franchise while putting its own unique stamp on it as a live-action installment. However, its roots and influences still appear to honor Uncharted's source material.
Comparisons between the Uncharted movie and games have been drawn closely as the cinematic adaptation nears its release. Recently, Sony's press conference at CES 2022 this week presented unique insight into the Uncharted movie from its star, Tom Holland, who had an interesting story to tell about how he was initially introduced to the games.
Holland admits on stage that he was introduced to Uncharted way back when he was filming the Marvel Cinematic Universe's first standalone Spider-Man movie, Spider-Man: Homecoming. Holland says that the trailers actors were provided with on set were "outfitted with the best TVs and the newest PlayStation." As such, one of the games that Holland says Sony provided was Uncharted. Holland then played Uncharted with his best friend between takes and while the crew and production prepared for subsequent scenes.
It is unclear whether Holland finished the Uncharted games while he filmed Spider-Man: Homecoming, but he states that he was approached thereafter and that is apparently when official talks started about an Uncharted movie. It seems as though Holland was presented with Uncharted as homework for a potential role in the future if this is the case, though a PlayStation and the Uncharted games could have been simply supplied as entertainment for the actor while on set.
Indeed, Sony is the connective tissue that has published Naughty Dog's Uncharted games and has had rights maintained and negotiated over with regard to Tom Holland's Spider-Man in particular. Holland's relationship with Sony has thus thrived under its umbrella of influence in the movie industry, and is likely an instrumental reason as to why Sony's Uncharted movie centers on the portrayal of an adolescent Nathan Drake.
Either way, it is exciting to hear that Holland took such care as to not only brush up on the Uncharted games but also enjoy them in his spare time, and Holland's contribution to the role of Nathan Drake may only benefit from having put that time into the franchise. Whether or not Sony's adaptation produces an Uncharted franchise of its own is undetermined at this point, but it at least appears to be a fun blockbuster fans can look forward to next month.
Uncharted is scheduled to release in theaters on February 18, 2022.
