The upcoming Uncharted movie has the potential to beat Indiana Jones 5 at its own game. After Disney bought Lucasfilm in 2012, the studio wasted no time in churning out a full slate of Star Wars movies and content, but they've struggled when it comes to a new Indiana Jones adventure. Back in 2016, Indiana Jones 5 was officially confirmed, set for a 2019 release date. Since then, it's encountered numerous delays, primarily due to cycling through multiple writers on the screenplay. Right now, Indiana Jones 5 is set for a July 2022 release, with James Mangold taking over for Steven Spielberg as director.
Sony's Uncharted adaptation endured its own series of setbacks over the years, but it's finally come into fruition. Star Tom Holland is wrapping up principal photography, and Uncharted is scheduled for a July 2021 release. As production winds down, viewers were treated to some first-look images, shedding light on the film's plot and revealing Holland's look as Nathan Drake. While there's still a long way to go before audiences see if Uncharted can be the rare successful video game film adaptation, the photos suggest this could give moviegoers the fix they're craving with Indiana Jones 5.
The Uncharted games are clearly inspired by the Indiana Jones films, sending players on globe-trotting adventures to find magical MacGuffins and mystical places. Based on the earliest look at the movie, it appears it will be following the same formula very closely. The images depict Holland's Drake as a fearless action hero on the trail of treasure, which is exactly how one would describe the Indiana Jones character. This implies the Uncharted movie will essentially be a young Indiana Jones story, slyly giving Hollywood an Indiana Jones reboot without the pressure of recasting Harrison Ford. The hope is the popular source material will draw viewers in.
What's interesting about this is part of the appeal of the Indiana Jones movies (especially the original trilogy) was the vicarious thrill of going on a grand adventure searching for treasure. Ford was in his prime when those films came out, making it easy for audiences to get swept up on the journey with Indiana Jones. The issue with doing an Indiana Jones movie now is the character is synonymous with Ford, who is in his late 70s. Should Indiana Jones 5 stick to its current release date, Ford will be 80 by the time it premieres. While Ford is clearly capable of delivering compelling performances as his legacy characters (see: Blade Runner 2049), he's limited with what he can do physically, which automatically makes Indiana Jones 5 a harder sell. Ford can no longer be dragged by trucks or jump on to a tank realistically. The franchise is in a bit of a conundrum because it's so tied to Ford he has to still be the focus, but it cannot take the Uncharted approach without forcing audiences to suspend disbelief much more than usual (even for an Indiana Jones movie).
Again, there's no guarantee Uncharted will be a big hit. Video game adaptations are notoriously tricky to get right, and a major selling point of the games is that they're basically Indiana Jones movies people can play. Removing that interactive element in the movie adaptation could be a detriment. But on-paper, Uncharted has all the right pieces to give viewers an Indiana Jones style adventure that's much easier to buy into than what Indiana Jones 5 appears to be attempting (there's a reason why it's proven to be so hard to crack the Indiana Jones 5 script). With a much younger actor to build a franchise around, Uncharted could take off and deliver a throwback, pulpy adventure that entertains and delights.
