Uncharted (film)
Uncharted is a 2022 American action-adventure film directed by Ruben Fleischer from a screenplay by Rafe Lee Judkins, Art Marcum and Matt Holloway, based on the "Uncharted" video game franchise developed by Naughty Dog and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It stars Tom Holland as Nathan Drake and Mark Wahlberg as Victor Sullivan, with Sophia Ali, Tati Gabrielle, and Antonio Banderas in supporting roles. In the film, Drake is recruited by Sullivan in a race against corrupt billionaire Santiago Moncada (Banderas) and mercenary leader Jo Braddock (Gabrielle) to locate the fabled treasure of the Magellan expedition. "Uncharted  entered development in 2008 with producer Avi Arad stating that he would be working with Sony Pictures to develop a film adaptation of the video game franchise. It entered a complicated production process with various directors, screenwriters, and cast members attached at various points. Filmmakers David O. Russell, Neil Burger, Seth Gordon, Shawn Levy, Dan Trachtenberg, and Travis Knight were initially signed to direct while Wahlberg was set to play Drake in early development. Holland was cast as Drake in May 2017 and Fleischer was hired as the director in early 2020. Principal photography commenced in March 2020, before being 	Uncharted (film)
2991362	quickly halted, resuming in July and finishing that October, with filming locations including Babelsberg Studio in Berlin and on location across Spain and Southeast Asia. Uncharted" was set for release on December 18, 2020, but was postponed several times due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It premiered at the Coliseum in Barcelona on February 7, 2022, and was theatrically released in the United States by Sony Pictures Releasing on February 18. The film received mixed reviews from critics, with criticism for the screenplay, casting, and lack of originality, though Holland's performance and the action sequences received some praise. "Uncharted" has  grossed $395 million worldwide, making it the third-highest-grossing film of 2022. Plot. Brothers Sam and Nathan "Nate" Drake are caught by museum security trying to steal the first map made after the Magellan expedition. The orphanage that houses both boys kicks Sam out. Before he leaves, Sam promises his return to Nate, and leaves him a ring with the inscription "Sic Parvis Magna". Fifteen years later, Nate works as a bartender in New York City and pickpockets wealthy patrons. Victor "Sully" Sullivan, a fortune hunter who worked with Sam tracking treasure hidden by the Magellan crew, explains  to Nate that Sam vanished after helping him steal Juan Sebastian Elcano's diary. Nate, who received several postcards from Sam over the years, agrees to help Sully to find his brother. Sully and Nathan go to an auction to steal a golden cross linked to the Magellan crew, where they meet Santiago Moncada, the last descendant of the Moncada family who funded Magellan's expedition, and Jo Braddock, leader of mercenaries hired by Moncada. Nate is ambushed by Braddock's men, and the ensuing fight creates a distraction for Sully to steal the cross. The duo travel to Barcelona , where the treasure is supposedly hidden, and rendezvous with Sully's contact Chloe Frazer, who has another cross. Chloe steals the first cross from Nate, but the men convince her to work with them. Meanwhile, Moncada learns from his father that the family fortune will be donated, and so orders Braddock to kill his father, so that he will inherit the money instead. Nate, Chloe, and Sully follow clues in Elcano's diary to Santa Maria del Pi, finding a secret crypt behind the altar. Nate and Chloe enter, finding a trap door, but as they open it, the crypt  floods with water. Sully helps them escape after subduing an ambush by Braddock. Using the two crosses to unlock a secret passage, Nate and Chloe find a map that indicates the treasure is in the Philippines. Chloe betrays Nate and takes the map, hinting Sully is keeping a secret about Sam. Chloe brings the map to Moncada, having also been hired by him, to Braddock's displeasure. Sully recovers Nate and says after he and Sam recovered Elcano's diary, they were ambushed by Braddock; Sam was shot and Sully narrowly escaped. Moncada, Chloe, and Braddock's team depart in  a cargo plane to find the treasure, but Braddock kills Moncada to gain power, forcing Chloe into hiding. Nate and Sully secretly board the plane and Nate confronts Braddock. Chloe who was hiding from Braddock is found and a battle ensues while Sully parachutes out with the map. Nate and Chloe are ejected from the plane during the ensuing battle and the pair land in the Philippines, where they realize the map does not pinpoint the treasure. Nate discovers the treasure's true location through hints left by Sam's postcards, but leaves fake coordinates for Chloe after correctly doubting  her loyalties. He discovers the Magellan ships and reunites with Sully. Braddock follows them, forcing Nate and Sully to hide as her crew airlift the ships. In their escape, Sully commandeers one of the helicopters, causing Braddock to order the other helicopter to approach for a boarding action. Nate defends himself from her mercenaries and shoots down the other helicopter with one of the ship's cannons. Braddock drops that ship's anchor while Nate climbs to the helicopter. Sully throws a bag of collected treasure at Braddock who falls into the sea and is crushed to death when the  ship breaks and falls on her. As Philippine naval units arrive, Nate and Sully get away with a few pieces of pickpocketed treasure while Chloe is left empty handed as she decides to follow the duo. It is then revealed that in a Prison somewhere, Nate's brother Sam is seen writing a postcard, warning his brother to be careful of those around him. A second scene shows Nate meeting with Gabe in a bar, someone who works for Roman. Sully comes in to save Nate after being held up by Gabe, and was caught again after leaving the bar , possibly leading to a potential sequel. Cast. Manuel de Blas appears as Armando Moncada, Santiago's father, Steven Waddington as the Scotsman, Alana Boden as Zoe, and Pingi Moli as Hugo. Nolan North, who portrayed Nathan Drake in the games, has a cameo as an hotel guest on the beach who talks to Nathan and Chloe. Pilou Asbæk portrays Gage in the mid-credits scene, and ElrubiusOMG appears as a background extra in Barcelona. Production. Development. In 2008, film producer Avi Arad stated that he was working with a division of Sony to develop the film adaptation of "Uncharted". In  response to a question posed to Richard Lemarchand, lead game designer of Naughty Dog, on whether he would like to see a film adaptation of "Uncharted", he replied "no comment". Since then, Columbia Pictures had confirmed that an "Uncharted" film was being developed. The film was at first to be written by Thomas Dean Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer and produced by Avi Arad, Charles Roven, and Alex Gartner. As of June 30, 2009, it was confirmed that the "Uncharted" film had been in development for the last year-and-a-half. Nathan Fillion expressed an interest in playing Nathan Drake , and started a campaign on Twitter to encourage fans to support him in the endeavor. In an August 2010 interview, Naughty Dog told PlayStation University how close they really were with the development of the film and that they had trust with all who were working on it. On October 8, 2010, it was announced by Doug Belgrad and Matt Tolmach, co-presidents of Columbia Pictures, that David O. Russell had been set to write and direct the film, an action adventure based upon the first game in the series. The film would be produced by Avi Arad, Charles Roven , and Alex Gartner. Following a screening of Russell's film, "The Fighter", he was approached by a fan of the "Uncharted" series who asked whether he had considered Fillion for the role of Nathan Drake for the upcoming film due to the high number of requests for him to fulfill the role. Russell was unaware of the interest in Fillion and who he was and seemed to quickly dismiss the idea. Fillion would then later go on to do a short "Uncharted" fan-film 8 years later, featuring him as Nathan Drake to positive reception. On November 24, 2010, an  interview with Mark Wahlberg was published by "MTV" with the actor discussing his involvement in the film adaptation of the popular franchise. He stated that Russell was currently writing the script and was excited for what he had in store, hoping to shoot in the middle of 2011: "I'm obviously in whatever David wants to do but the idea of it is so off the charts: Robert De Niro being my father, Joe Pesci being my uncle. It's not going to be the watered-down version, that's for sure." On May 26, 2011, it was reported that  Russell had departed the film to direct "Silver Linings Playbook". On July 6, "Variety" reported that Neil Burger was stepping in for Russell. Burger landed the offer after the studio and producers Avi Arad, Charles Roven, and Alex Gartner sparked to his new take on the film. Burger spoke out about the film in July, saying the following: We're re-writing the script from scratch[...] and until the screenplay is written you never know who's going to be acting in it or not. I think it's a great adventure, it has pretty great character at its core  [but] there will be (balance) in this [film]. [It's] one that is a very great adventure, and it's just a matter of pulling out the cool intense stuff that works for the film story, and making sure the story supports those elements and also makes us connected to the character. On August 23, 2012, Burger dropped out to work on "Divergent" and the studio hired the husband and wife team of Marianne and Cormac Wibberley to rewrite the film. In an interview with "IGN", Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg said they were asked to write the film multiple  times, but declined all of them. On February 4, 2014, "Deadline" reported that Seth Gordon would direct the film with the latest script being written by David Guggenheim. Production was set to begin in early 2015. The film was originally scheduled for release on June 10, 2016. On November 12, 2014, the studio hired Mark Boal to write the film. After Wahlberg, Chris Pratt was approached to portray Nathan Drake, but he declined the offer. On June 24, 2015, Seth Gordon left the project to work on "Baywatch". In April 2015, the script written by David Guggenheim was leaked, having  been obtained in the Sony Pictures hack. On August 5, 2015, Sony Pictures Entertainment pushed the film's release date back to June 30, 2017. In an interview with "Game News Official", Nolan North, who voiced Nathan Drake in the video games, stated that he believed that fans did not want an "Uncharted" film. Charles Roven did reveal to "Collider" that what they were working on was pretty exciting, there was a director that they did not have at the moment, and they were not ready to cast that vote until they were actually ready to cast. In April 2016 , Neil Druckmann, who had worked on previous "Uncharted" games, said that the most important aspect of the film is the character relationships. On July 29, 2016, "Variety" reported that Joe Carnahan was writing the draft of the film's script. On September 1, 2016, the film was removed from Sony's release calendar due to not having a director or cast, but Sony was still moving forward with the film. On October 25, 2016, Shawn Levy was announced to be directing the film. Carnahan said to "Collider" that he and Levy are knowledgeable about the game, and had been hard  at work getting the characters right. The filming was set to begin in early 2017. In early January 2017, Carnahan posted a photo on his Instagram to show that the script of the film had been completed. In May 2017, Tom Holland was cast as a young Nathan Drake, with the film serving as a prequel to the games. Television writer Rafe Judkins was brought on to rework the script. On December 19, 2018, it was announced that Levy had departed the film to work on "Free Guy". On January 14, 2019, "Variety" reported that Dan Trachtenberg had signed on  to direct the film. In June 2019, "The Hollywood Reporter" confirmed that the film was set to be released on December 18, 2020. On August 22, 2019, "Deadline" reported that Dan Trachtenberg had exited the film, with the film scheduled to go into production in early 2020. The film would become the first feature production of Sony's PlayStation Productions. On September 27, 2019, "The Hollywood Reporter" informed that Travis Knight would direct the film. In November, Wahlberg returned to the project to star alongside Holland in the role of Victor Sullivan. In December 2019, Knight left the project due  to scheduling conflicts with Holland, which resulted in the film losing its December 18, 2020 release date. Pre-production. In January 2020, Ruben Fleischer entered talks to replace Knight as director, with the film's release date pushed back to March 5, 2021. Chung-hoon Chung was hired as the cinematographer, while Chris Lebenzon and Richard Pearson served as editors. In February 2020, Fleischer was confirmed as director, with the film's plot serving as an origin story to the games. The film would take inspiration from the fourth game in the series, "". In March, Antonio Banderas, Sophia Ali, and  Tati Gabrielle were added to the cast, with Art Marcum and Matt Holloway contributing to the script. Filming. Principal photography began on March 16, 2020, in Babelsberg Studios, near Berlin, Germany. Filming was shut down later that day due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was believed filming had resumed on July 15, 2020; however, Sony Pictures clarified, while production had not yet resumed, they were undergoing preparations with the hope to start production soon. Production officially resumed on July 20, 2020, shooting in Babelsberg Studios, with proper social distancing and mask requirements being implemented on and off the set. On  August 5, 2020, Banderas temporarily left production after he tested positive for COVID-19. On August 26, 2020, Banderas recovered from coronavirus, returning to production soon after. On September 16, 2020, filming moved to Berlin, with set photos being released online. In the beginning of October 2020, the production shot scenes in Alicante and Valencia, Spain, including the coastal town of Xàbia. Digital shots were used to recreate the Philippines due to filming restrictions from the pandemic. Several action scenes drew inspiration from Jackie Chan; according to Holland, the bar fight was inspired by Chan's use of his surroundings to  fight people in unique ways. On October 23, 2020, Holland finished shooting his scenes, before production concluded on October 29 in Barcelona. Reshoots took place in July 2021 in Madrid. Music. All music is composed by Ramin Djawadi. Djawadi also referenced Greg Edmonson's "Nate's Theme" from "", "", and "" in the film. Additionally, American band MILKBLOOD produced a song titled "No Mind", released in February 16, 2022 and was used for the end credits sequence. Release. Theatrical. "Uncharted" had its world premiere in Barcelona, Spain on February 7, 2022. The film was theatrically released by Sony Pictures Releasing in the  United States on February 18, in IMAX, Dolby Cinema, and 4DX. The film was originally set for release on June 10, 2016, but was delayed to June 30, 2017. The film was later delayed to December 18, 2020, and then to March 5, 2021, after Travis Knight's departure. It was further delayed to October 8, 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The film was then moved up to July 16, 2021, before moving to February 11, 2022, and then again to the following week. On March 12, 2022, "Uncharted" was banned from distribution in Vietnam for containing "illegal images  of the nine-dash line. The film was due to hit Vietnamese theaters on March 18. On April 27, the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board of the Philippines banned the release of Uncharted" in the country following a request by the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs to do so, stating that the scenes featuring the nine-dash line were "contrary to national interest". Home media. In April 2021, Sony signed deals with Netflix and The Walt Disney Company for the streaming rights to their 2022 to 2026 film slate, including "Uncharted", following the films' theatrical and home media  windows. The film was released digitally on April 26, 2022 and will be released on Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray and DVD on May 10, 2022. Marketing. According to iSpot, Sony spent around $20 million in television spots, generating 1.12 billion impressions. The film was particularly advertised on NBC, CBS, ESPN, ABC, and Fox across programs including NFL football, "SportsCenter", the 2022 Winter Olympics, and the NBA. Social media firm RelishMix said a commercial for the film created in a cross-promotion with Hyundai Motors, broadcast during the pregame of Super Bowl LVI, generated 522.3 million interactions online  within the first 24 hours of airing, exceeding expectations. Online accounts for the film accumulated 407,000 followers with 40.9 million views from 42 Facebook videos and 104.6 million views from 24 YouTube videos. Holland's 68.4 million followers on social media were also highlighted as significant factors in the film's box office performance. Reception. Box office. , "Uncharted" has grossed $146.4million in the United States and Canada, and $248.6million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $395million. The result lands "Uncharted" as the fourth-highest-grossing film based on a video game of all time worldwide . The current domestic grossing positions the film as second-highest-grossing, closely behind Sonic the Hedgehog 2 with $147 million. Internationally only, "Uncharted" is the sixth-highest-grossing video game adaptation. In the United States and Canada, "Uncharted" was released alongside "Dog" and "The Cursed", and was projected to gross $25–35 million from 4,275 theaters in its opening weekend (as well as $30–40 million if including the Presidents' Day holiday). The film earned an estimated $15.4 million on its first day, including $3.7 million from Thursday night previews. Its opening surpassed projections, grossing in three  days and in four days. It had the biggest opening during the first two months of 2022. It grossed in its second weekend, in its third, in its fourth, in its fifth, $5 million in its sixth, $3.7 million in its seventh, $2.6 million in its eighth, and $1.2 million in its ninth. The film dropped out of the box office top ten in its tenth weekend, finishing thirteenth with $470,643. Outside the United States and Canada, the film grossed $21.5 million in its opening weekend from 15 international markets (a week before its  North American opening). It opened in first place at the box office in all of its markets, including the United Kingdom ($6.4 million), Russia ($4.5 million), and Spain ($3.5 million). The film's international opening gross was reported to be ahead of the debuts of Marvel Studios' 2021 films "Black Widow", "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings", and "Eternals". In its second international weekend (the same weekend it released in North America), the film grossed a further from 62 overseas territories, bringing its worldwide gross to up until then. From 64 markets, the film  earned an additional $35 million in its third weekend and $17.4 million in its fourth. The film crossed the $300 million mark worldwide after adding $11.2 million in its fifth weekend, and the $200 million mark overseas with the addition of $19 million in its sixth weekend. The film earned $7.7 million in its seventh weekend, $3.1 million in its ninth, $2.1 million in its tenth, and $1.4 million in its eleventh. Critical response. The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of , with an average rating of , based  on reviews. The website's critical consensus reads, "Promisingly cast but misleadingly titled, "Uncharted" mines its bestselling source material to produce a disappointing echo of superior adventure films". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale, while those at PostTrak gave it a 79% positive score, with 61% saying they would definitely recommend it. Owen Gleiberman of "Variety" found the film "watchable in a thin 'Raiders of the Lost National Treasure of the Fast & Furious Caribbean' way. "IGN" Jeffrey Vega gave the film a 7 out of 10, stating it  plays it safe, but it's mostly a fun and effective adventure, while also praising Holland's performance. Reviewing for "TheWrap", Todd Gilchrist also praised Holland's performance, citing "undeniable charisma and sincerity that makes him tirelessly likable." Peter Bradshaw of "The Guardian" gave the film a 2 out of 5, labelling it "an efficient, soulless hologram". "The Independent" Clarisse Loughrey also gave the film 2 out of 5 and criticized the casting and script, writing, "There's a lot to "Uncharted" that feels haphazard or under-considered." Writing for "Empire", Nick de Semlyen criticized the dialogue between Holland and  Wahlberg and called Banderas "a colourless villain". Similar criticism was noted in Marshall Shaffer's review for "The Playlist", who wrote "every line feels as if it had to pass a corporate committee vote", giving the film a C. Robert Kojder of "Polygon" criticized the weak chemistry between Wahlberg and Holland and the editing, stating the film "lack stakes, genuine peril, or adrenaline-pumping adventure", which was echoed by "Gizmodo" Germain Lussier, who concluded the film feels "thrown together with the hope a name brand will tie it all together". Adam Rosenberg of "Mashable" praised the cinematography and compared Holland 's performance to be a "nod to Jackie Chan's slapstick acrobatics", but said the story and characters were underdeveloped. Writing for the "New York Times", Manohla Dargis gave a mixed review, saying "Uncharted" is "an amalgam of clichés past their sell-by date", but praised Holland's performance. Giving the film a C-, "IndieWire" David Ehrlich negatively compared the film to the video games stating, "Perhaps the film's Walmart approach to its action would've been more forgivable if the games weren't so frequently suffused with Spielbergian flair, just as the film's archetypal characters may have  been less underwhelming had the games not managed to establish 10 times the pathos with none of the same flesh and blood." Writing for "The Globe and Mail", Barry Hertz agreed, stating "Fleischer and his many writers delivered a straight-faced assault of under-the-top tedium", and concluding the film carries a "bizarre, utter disdain for its audience". Danny Leigh of "Financial Times" said the film "feels uptight [and] joyless", negatively comparing it to "Police Story" and "Raiders of the Lost Ark" (1981). Writing for "Engadget", Devindra Hardawar said "Uncharted" was "aggressively average" and criticized the screenplay, writing "our  heroes quip, defy physics [but] never feel like they're in any danger". Reviewing for "Ars Technica", Sam Machkovech gave a negative review regarding the film's action sequences, describing "Uncharted" as "a high school film class' rendition of "Bourne"", and negatively compared it to the video games. Conversely, CNN Brian Lowry praised the action sequences but criticized the character development, stating it felt the filmmakers treated it as an "unnecessary distraction". Charles Pulliam-Moore of "The Verge" also criticized the film for its lack of defined characters, writing, "The bulk of Nathan and Sully's banter falls flat due  to an unfortunate blend of questionable chemistry and hackneyed dialogue as the film can't commit to a focus or a tone, making it feel much longer than it actually is all throughout". Bans in the Philippines and Vietnam. "Uncharted" was banned in Vietnam and the Philippines due to the appearance of a treasure map featuring the nine-dash line found in the underground scene, which depicts the South China Sea as part of China's territory, which is similar to the 2019 animated film "Abominable". Future. Roxy Simons of "Newsweek" noted the film's ending leaves open a number  of avenues for a possible sequel or film series. Fleischer expressed interest in a sequel, citing the car chase from "" as a set piece he'd like to replicate, but noted that it was entirely dependent on the financial success of the first film. Following the film's opening weekend, Chairman of Sony Pictures, Tom Rothman, described "Uncharted" as a new film franchise for Sony.