It might not be moving very quickly, but Sony’s adaptation of popular video game franchise Uncharted definitely has some forward momentum. Following a draft by Safe House writer David Guggenheim that got the attention of studio execs, THR is now reporting that Mark Boal has been tapped to spend a few weeks polishing things up. Known for his work on Zero Dark Thirty and The Hurt Locker, Boal seems like a bit of an odd choice, but it turns out that he’s a huge fan of the game series. Attaching someone of Boal’s talent, who also happens to respect the source material, will hopefully speed things along.
Uncharted is being envisioned as “a swashbuckling adventure in the vein of Indiana Jones,” which is a fairly accurate description of the games. The central character is professional treasure hunter Nathan Drake, a descendant of legendary explorer Sir Frances Drake, who is on a quest to locate the fabled lost city of El Dorado. Along the way, Drake and a rival treasure hunter will face plenty of challenges, including “mutated descendants of Spaniards and Nazis” that threaten anyone seeking to learn the treasure’s whereabouts.
Horrible Bosses director Seth Gordon has been attached to Uncharted since earlier this year, but the studio’s biggest challenge seems to be finding the right leading man. Mark Wahlberg was involved at one point, when David O. Russell was set to direct, but that version of the film never came to fruition and the studio opted to break ties with the talent involved. Another report says that Guardians of the Galaxy star Chris Pratt was recently offered the role, but he turned it down – a shame, because he would have been an excellent fit.
Uncharted is expected to begin production sometime in early 2015, with a June 12, 2016 release being planned. We’ll keep you posted as we learn more.