When David O’Russell officially came on board Sony Pictures adaptation of the beloved and best-selling video game Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, I knew what was coming. It might’ve taken a few months, but eventually Mark Wahlberg was going to announce his involvement in the film. Though my co-workers (and many on the internet) lobbied for the always-on-the-cusp-of-breaking-out-but-never-does Nathan Fillion for the role, you just can’t deny the facts: Wahlberg is O’Russell’s muse and this project is a PERFECT fit for the seasoned actor.
Uncharted follows a rugged, Indiana Jones-like treasure hunter who believes he’s learned the location of the fabled golden city of El Dorado. Upon venturing to the South American destination, he encounters rival hunters and all sorts of antagonists, making for an epic action adventure. The cinematic potential of this grand story is pretty amazing and it has long been a film that I’ve said I’d line up to see. As a gamer, I can safely say that I’ve had more fun playing this game (and it’s stellar sequel) than any other in recent memory, so I’m stoked.
Regarding Wahlberg: many will come out against his casting and I don’t deny that his personality and the pitch of his voice won’t exactly match Drake’s, but there aren’t many actors out there who could handle a David O’Russell production. Wahlberg is one tough son of a bitch, because this will be his fourth collaboration with the hot-headed helmer (following Three Kings, I Heart Huckabees and The Fighter). We also know that he can handle the heavy amounts of action that the film will call for and Sony Pictures is happy to be back in business with him following the unlikely success of The Other Guys. It’s full steam ahead for Uncharted now, which has a screenplay from Thomas Dean Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer (Sahara, upcoming Conan reboot). A 2013 release is targeted, but based on MTV’s interview with the actor, that could get pushed up to 2012 if the film does indeed lense next year. Check out the interview below:
Source: MTV
