“I Wanted to Make Sure it Worked as a Film First”
Sony Pictures
Conventional thought would seem to dictate that the biggest fans of a given property would have the best chance of bringing that material to life for a successful and effective adaptation on the big screen. According to “Uncharted” director Ruben Fleischer, himself a fan of the games, that sort of thinking might very well lead to failure. In the February 2022 edition of Empire magazine, Fleischer is quoted as diagnosing the long-running issue that has plagued many a video game adaptation before. His solution, perhaps somewhat paradoxically to some, is to steer aside from attempting to recapture the singular magic of playing through a great game in the first place:
“Part of the problem is that they’re trying to recreate the games. Because players have had such a visceral experience, I don’t think you can compete with that. I wanted to make sure [‘Uncharted’] worked as a film first.”
That’s not to say that there shouldn’t be any overlap between the two mediums, of course, as Fleischer draws a direct comparison between movies and the “Uncharted” series specifically, as well. “When you’re playing the games, it feels like you’re inside a movie, so having the opportunity to bring it to life was a real dream come true.” He goes on to explain his approach to mixing and matching recognizable imagery from several of the games into this film, balanced against all sorts of new and original ideas that he brought to the table:
“We tried to take inspiration from the games whenever we could, but we also wanted to have original set pieces that aren’t a part of the games at all. I’ve never seen anything like our third act finale before and I think it will blow people away.”
If greatness truly does come from small beginnings, to paraphrase Nathan Drake’s own personal motto, then perhaps it would be only fitting for the “Uncharted” adaptation to rise above all of its shaky production history to end up as a pleasant surprise in the arena of video game movies. Starring Tom Holland as Drake and Mark Wahlberg as Sully, “Uncharted” comes to theaters on February 18, 2022. The February 2022 issue of Empire magazine hits shelves on December 23, 2021.
Sony Pictures
By Jeremy Mathai/Dec. 20, 2021 3:51 pm EST
“I Wanted to Make Sure it Worked as a Film First”
Conventional thought would seem to dictate that the biggest fans of a given property would have the best chance of bringing that material to life for a successful and effective adaptation on the big screen. According to “Uncharted” director Ruben Fleischer, himself a fan of the games, that sort of thinking might very well lead to failure. In the February 2022 edition of Empire magazine, Fleischer is quoted as diagnosing the long-running issue that has plagued many a video game adaptation before. His solution, perhaps somewhat paradoxically to some, is to steer aside from attempting to recapture the singular magic of playing through a great game in the first place:
“Part of the problem is that they’re trying to recreate the games. Because players have had such a visceral experience, I don’t think you can compete with that. I wanted to make sure [‘Uncharted’] worked as a film first.”
That’s not to say that there shouldn’t be any overlap between the two mediums, of course, as Fleischer draws a direct comparison between movies and the “Uncharted” series specifically, as well. “When you’re playing the games, it feels like you’re inside a movie, so having the opportunity to bring it to life was a real dream come true.” He goes on to explain his approach to mixing and matching recognizable imagery from several of the games into this film, balanced against all sorts of new and original ideas that he brought to the table:
“We tried to take inspiration from the games whenever we could, but we also wanted to have original set pieces that aren’t a part of the games at all. I’ve never seen anything like our third act finale before and I think it will blow people away.”
If greatness truly does come from small beginnings, to paraphrase Nathan Drake’s own personal motto, then perhaps it would be only fitting for the “Uncharted” adaptation to rise above all of its shaky production history to end up as a pleasant surprise in the arena of video game movies. Starring Tom Holland as Drake and Mark Wahlberg as Sully, “Uncharted” comes to theaters on February 18, 2022. The February 2022 issue of Empire magazine hits shelves on December 23, 2021.
That’s not to say that there shouldn’t be any overlap between the two mediums, of course, as Fleischer draws a direct comparison between movies and the “Uncharted” series specifically, as well. “When you’re playing the games, it feels like you’re inside a movie, so having the opportunity to bring it to life was a real dream come true.” He goes on to explain his approach to mixing and matching recognizable imagery from several of the games into this film, balanced against all sorts of new and original ideas that he brought to the table:
“Part of the problem is that they’re trying to recreate the games. Because players have had such a visceral experience, I don’t think you can compete with that. I wanted to make sure [‘Uncharted’] worked as a film first.”
If greatness truly does come from small beginnings, to paraphrase Nathan Drake’s own personal motto, then perhaps it would be only fitting for the “Uncharted” adaptation to rise above all of its shaky production history to end up as a pleasant surprise in the arena of video game movies. Starring Tom Holland as Drake and Mark Wahlberg as Sully, “Uncharted” comes to theaters on February 18, 2022.
“We tried to take inspiration from the games whenever we could, but we also wanted to have original set pieces that aren’t a part of the games at all. I’ve never seen anything like our third act finale before and I think it will blow people away.”
The February 2022 issue of Empire magazine hits shelves on December 23, 2021.
