Despite the fact the “Uncharted” video games from Sony and Naughty Dog are incredibly cinematic and inspired by adventure movies like INDIANA JONES, getting a movie to the big screen has been quite the process. But now the ship seems to be ready and sails set for an adventure, and Sony Pictures has officially set December 18, 2020, as the release date for the first adaptation of the popular game series with Spider-Man actor Tom Holland in the lead role.
[SEE MORE]
To give a perspective on how long it’s taken to get this movie going, Holland’s casting was announced two years ago, which came off previous actors and directors like Mark Wahlberg and Neil Burger coming aboard and then leaving the project. Now things seem to be righted with Holland cast as treasure hunter Nathan Drake in his younger years, and with 10 CLOVERFIELD LANE director Dan Trachtenberg signing on after Shawn Levy exited earlier this year. Scripting duties handled by Jonathan Rosenberg and Mark Walker.
UNCHARTED’s release date gives it a prime spot during a holiday season with no Star Wars or comic book movies to compete against it. Its main competition will be Steven Spielberg’s WEST SIDE STORY and Eddie Murphy’s COMING TO AMERICA sequel, which means there will be something for everyone next Christmas. No word on when production will start, but given the release, it will have to be later this year or very early 2020.
[SEE MORE]
Sony also announced a slew of other release dates, including for Kevin Hart’s new movie FATHERHOOD, which is set for April 3, 2020, and finds Hart trying to raise a child on his own after the death of his wife. Then there’s the release of a new take on Cinderella from Kay Cannon (BLOCKERS) starring pop sensation Camilla Cabello, which is now set for February 5, 2021.
The sequel to one of this year’s surprise hits, ESCAPE ROOM, has been moved from April 2020 to August 14, 2020, expanding the window to get the movie made. After the first surprised with a terrific $150+ million worldwide total off a budget of $9 million a sequel was quickly put on the schedule, but it was expected to be pushed back so more time could be made to put it together.
As one of my favorite video game series I can't wait to see how Uncharted is brought to life on screen, and while Holland is playing a younger version of the character we all expected to see on screen, that only means he has years to make it his own and perhaps carry the series for years to come. Trachtenberg is an interesting choice to direct, but the man proved to have some serious chops after the incredible CLOVERFIELD LANE, so with everyone's talent in mind, bring on the treasure hunting.