Sony is once again looking for someone to direct Uncharted, and they've now turned their attention towards Ruben Fleischer. The studio has been trying to get the popular video game franchise to the big screen for years to no avail. This hasn't been for a lack of trying though, as Uncharted has hired director after director only to watch them leave.
This saga most recently continued when Bumblebee's Travis Knight left the Uncharted project a few weeks ago. His exit proved to be the latest stumbling block for Uncharted and one which reportedly could result in the film missing it's scheduled December 2020 release date. These possible changes were attributed to Tom Holland's busy schedule, specifically the need to film Spider-Man Homecoming 3 later this year. While that delay would give the studio more time to find the person who can actually bring Uncharted to theaters, they're trying to lock in a director quickly to keep the previous production timeline intact.
According to a new report from Deadline, Ruben Fleischer may be the man to help Sony. He is reportedly at the top of the studio's list to jump aboard the project in an effort to shoot Uncharted before Holland's MCU commitments begin. Fleischer is fresh off directing the long-awaited Zombieland: Double Tap for Sony and has also helmed Venom, which made over $850 million worldwide in 2018, for them as well. He has not officially signed on to direct Uncharted yet though, so there is a chance this will not happen.
This new report sheds new light on not only the possible director for Uncharted, but a different mindset from Sony on the production. Instead of potentially delaying the movie until 2021 or 2022, they remain fixated on the idea of having the adventure film be their big holiday release this year. With that in mind, it makes sense why they are turning to Fleischer. His last two films were for Sony, so they have a strong working relationship. He also has experience with blockbuster films and should be able to manage the production on short notice.
If Fleischer does wind up directing Uncharted, he will be at least the seventh director to be attached to the film, but the only one who will stick with the project until its completion. It should also mean that the next several weeks will be full of more updates on the movie. As of right now, Holland is set to star as Nathan Drake, but the only other announced cast member is Mark Wahlberg as his mentor Sully. Sony will need to move quickly to find additional co-stars and a villain for Uncharted if Fleischer agrees to direct, that is if they still hope to begin production in the next few months.
Source: Deadline
