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New Uncharted Director Starting From Scratch by Going Back to the Games
Former director and writer David O. Russell had a different idea than most for how to do a movie based on Uncharted. He wanted to tell a story about Nathan Drake's family that would star Mark Wahlberg. With Russell out and Neil Burger in, that all changes. As Burger puts it, he's looking to go back to the games and start from scratch, including the search for a leading man -- a search which may include Nathan Fillion.
Burger, who had been quiet on the subject since his name was connected with the project earlier this month, told Crave Online he has yet to see Russell's screenplay. "Mainly we're beginning from scratch and going back to the videogame," he said. "Because there's a lot of cool stuff, actually, from the videogame, if you know it..."
"It's really one of the most cinematic videogames, and one that has really developed characters. So, you know, there's a lot of cool, really intense things that, if they work for the film's story, I want to use them."
He attributes the success of Limitless, the Bradley Cooper movie he directed earlier this year, as the reason for why he was offered the Uncharted job. Burger previously directed and wrote The Illusionist and The Lucky Ones.
Indiana Jones is an obvious comparison for Uncharted in the movie space. The difference between the two, according to Burger, is that Indiana relies on nostalgia, whereas Uncharted is more contemporary.
"Uncharted is very much up to the minute, of the moment. It's very 'now' and contemporary and it has this sort of rough and very intense feel that a movie like The Bourne Identity has," he explained. "It's really up to date in its own way. The Bourne Identity isn't your father's Cold War movie and this is a very different kind of treasure hunt movie. It's very real and it has kind of an insane, wild feeling that comes out of the character; Nate being this con man and a bit of a hustler, living by his wits, ballsy and capable of anything."
As for Nathan Fillion, the star of Firefly who has petitioned for the role of Nathan Drake (with a fair amount of fan support), Burger called him a "good actor" but wasn't exactly prepared to offer him the role. He said, "I think there's a lot of really good actors who don't even look like [Nathan Drake] who could play it! Where we are right now is that we're literally starting from scratch on the screenplay, and I think that once we finish it, then we'll go to actors and see who's available and who's right for the parts. Whenever that happens."
Who knows, maybe Burger will do what Russell did in selecting an actor he's worked with in the past -- Bradley Cooper, perhaps?
Source: 1up.com
Burger, who had been quiet on the subject since his name was connected with the project earlier this month, told Crave Online he has yet to see Russell's screenplay. "Mainly we're beginning from scratch and going back to the videogame," he said. "Because there's a lot of cool stuff, actually, from the videogame, if you know it..."
"It's really one of the most cinematic videogames, and one that has really developed characters. So, you know, there's a lot of cool, really intense things that, if they work for the film's story, I want to use them."
He attributes the success of Limitless, the Bradley Cooper movie he directed earlier this year, as the reason for why he was offered the Uncharted job. Burger previously directed and wrote The Illusionist and The Lucky Ones.
Indiana Jones is an obvious comparison for Uncharted in the movie space. The difference between the two, according to Burger, is that Indiana relies on nostalgia, whereas Uncharted is more contemporary.
"Uncharted is very much up to the minute, of the moment. It's very 'now' and contemporary and it has this sort of rough and very intense feel that a movie like The Bourne Identity has," he explained. "It's really up to date in its own way. The Bourne Identity isn't your father's Cold War movie and this is a very different kind of treasure hunt movie. It's very real and it has kind of an insane, wild feeling that comes out of the character; Nate being this con man and a bit of a hustler, living by his wits, ballsy and capable of anything."
As for Nathan Fillion, the star of Firefly who has petitioned for the role of Nathan Drake (with a fair amount of fan support), Burger called him a "good actor" but wasn't exactly prepared to offer him the role. He said, "I think there's a lot of really good actors who don't even look like [Nathan Drake] who could play it! Where we are right now is that we're literally starting from scratch on the screenplay, and I think that once we finish it, then we'll go to actors and see who's available and who's right for the parts. Whenever that happens."
Who knows, maybe Burger will do what Russell did in selecting an actor he's worked with in the past -- Bradley Cooper, perhaps?
Source: 1up.com