Often with video game movie adaptations, fans will say it’s the easiest thing to do. After all, most games now come with pre-installed plots to follow and characters to simply put on the big screen. How hard can it be? But that doesn’t stop studios trying to put their own stamp on a project – as it would appear was the case with Uncharted.
While speaking with screenwriter Joe Carnahan [read our in-depth interview here], he talked about a previous draft of the movie which featured a heavy political angle. “When you start invoking ISIS and going to real-world politics with that world, you risk it breaking it and knocking the magic dust of it,” he says of the draft. “It becomes too visceral and real-time, and I don’t think that’s what the game is. The game has really wonderful rough edges and is very tough, but tough in a pulpy noir-ish way.”
When pressed for more information, Carnahan responded: “I quite liked the script, but I understood that it was not Uncharted. It broke too much from the nomenclature of what Uncharted is. That’s not to say it wasn’t compelling writing or a good script, it just – in my mind and humble opinion and I think this was also from the studio side of things – too thorny. It was a little too real. And not in a way that you could sell to a broader audience.”
Carnahan also spoke about ‘fanboy’ culture, and how his Uncharted script won’t play to just fans of the franchise. “I’m always dubious about the ‘fanboy base’, who are woefully misrepresented and don’t nearly have the power they think they have. You run into problems if you’re out to please and placate those guys. It’s a losing battle to begin with. Sony very smartly said, ‘you already have the audience who love Uncharted’. Look, we know most dumb rednecks in this country are going to vote for Donald Trump – that’s what he needs to win the Presidency. Same thing with Uncharted. We gotta go get people who wouldn’t normally [see this movie] and get them intrigued.”
Uncharted currently doesn’t have a release date, but is written by Joe Carnahan (Bad Boys For Life) and will be directed by Shawn Levy (Real Steel)
Originally published November 4, 2016. Updated April 16, 2018.
