Uncharted director Ruben Fleischer (Zombieland, Venom) explains the difference between Tom Holland’s Nathan Drake and voice actor Nolan North’s from the games. Inspired by Indiana Jones, Mission Impossible, and other classic adventure films, Naughty Dog’s video game franchise follows the wise-cracking treasure hunter, Nathan Drake. Following Crash Bandicoot and Jax and Daxter, Uncharted (2007) and its sequels cemented Naughty Dog as one of the leading developers in cinematic gaming. For much of the last decade, Hollywood has looked to reverse engineer the success of Uncharted.
Uncharted releases in theaters this week and sees Holland take on the role of Nathan Drake. Acting as an origin story, the film focuses on the character's early days as he meets his mentor, Mark Wahlberg’s Victor “Sully” Sullivan, and embarks on an adventure to find Magellan’s treasure. Uncharted also stars Sophia Taylor Ali as Chloe Frazer, Antonio Banderas, and Tati Gabrielle. Like the considerably younger lead and not-so-Sully Sullivan, the movie spins the franchise gamers know while adapting familiar set pieces and catchphrases (ex. "Crap!").
During a discussion on ComicBook.com's Phase Zero podcast, Fleischer talked about Holland’s inexperienced Drake. Specifically, he spoke on how the film’s younger version of the character compares to his video game counterpart. Read his full quote below:
"Well, Nathan Drake in the game is somebody who's been at this treasure hunting thing for a long time," Fleischer explained. "Whereas, our character, he's an unassuming bartender who has a love for history, but, other than that, really no experience out there in the world, fighting, shooting, jumping off of planes, all the things that he learns how to do. So, I think that the naiveté that Tom brings to the character is warranted because he's not this veteran guy. He's a guy who just yesterday was tending bar and then just got thrust into these extreme circumstances. So, what I love is that, for fans of the game, they get to see a different chapter in Nate's life and see how he would go through these experiences which would lead him to become the Nathan Drake that they know and love."
Video game adaptations have a terrible track record—from Super Mario Bros. (1993) to Assassin’s Creed (2016). In addition to that predisposition, fans of the Uncharted franchise have been critical of Holland’s casting. Age aside, the actor doesn’t exactly exude the gruff bravado of Nathan Drake. For years, many have lobbied for Nathan Fillion to play the character, especially when the subsequent Uncharted fan film laid the groundwork for how a feature could work. If Uncharted can replicate the games’ sense of adventure without feeling like a soulless rehash, at the very least, it’ll be a good time. Holland’s talent and charisma positions him to make the role his own as long as he’s driving the right vehicle.
With the film serving as an origin story with multiple post-credits scenes, Fleischer and company have set up an Uncharted sequel. As mentioned in Fleischer’s interview, whether his Uncharted turns into a franchise will all depend upon casual moviegoers. While critics haven’t been especially kind to Uncharted, the box office will determine its merit. Even if the first film feels like a misstep, the source material is filled with characters, set pieces, and stories begging to be explored. It’s not hard to imagine Holland growing into a version of Nathan Drake fans know and love. Otherwise, the entire venture will result in yet another, resounding, "crap!"
Source: ComicBook.com