The Uncharted movie is becoming a palpable reality after twelve years in development and a six-month filming delay. Tom Holland shared a first look at himself as Nathan Drake, the protagonist of Naughty Dog’s classic franchise.
The Spider-Man: Far From Home star posted the image to his personal Instagram, saying “It’s nice to meet you, I’m Nate.” (And he did so without spoiling anything!)
Uncharted was set to begin shooting in March before the Covid-19 pandemic forced Sony Pictures to postpone production by at least six weeks. Filming resumed in late July, in Germany and Spain. Holland mentioned in an Instagram story that principal photography is wrapping today, despite further setbacks when co-star Antonio Banderas contracted the virus.
Back in February, Holland told BBC Radio 1 that “The script is really, really good. It’s really strong. It’s really, really funny.” He reiterated his enthusiasm on Instagram last month, saying “The film is like, everything I dreamed it would be. I mean, I don’t know if you guys played the games, but I was such a huge fan of the game, and it’s been going so well.”
Fans have voiced concerns about Holland’s casting, especially after Nathan Fillion was long-favoured for the role and starred in a well-received Uncharted fan film back in 2018. However Sony’s movie is a prequel to the video game series, making the forty-nine-year-old Firefly star ineligible. Holland certainly looks the part and the production team has replicated Nathan Drake’s look with great attention to detail.
Drake’s voice and motion capture actor, Nolan North, also shared photos from the film’s set yesterday. “Like looking into a mirror,” he wrote on Twitter. “Proud to have [Holland] continuing the Drake legacy! Absolutely smashing it!” Hopefully North was able to offer some personal advice on the character he defined for a decade.
Ruben Fleischer (Venom, Zombieland) is directing, the last in a long line of directors attached to the project. The script was penned by Art Marcum and Matt Holloway (Iron Man), inspired by Amy Hennig’s work on the Naughty Dog’s original games. Joining Holland in the cast are Mark Wahlberg as Drake’s mentor Sully, Banderas in an unknown role, Tati Gabrielle (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina), and Sophia Ali (Grey’s Anatomy). The Uncharted movie is currently set for release on July 16, 2021.
Holland and Wahlberg were also spotted filming in Berlin last month, dressed to the nines. Wahlberg revealed to Collider in March that he had been attached to the project “for years and years” to play Drake before ultimately taking the mentor role.
