Mark Wahlberg = Nathan Drake

[TKz]

I like how Wahlberg + another video game movie = instant bomb at the box office. Who's to say this movie won't blow up and be the biggest movie of 2011/2012/whatever year it's released? I'm sorry, but I don't buy into all of this Nathan Fillion cocksucking going on in here.

I don't particularly care for either actor, never played the game (no PS3), and don't even know what it's about. But, goddamn, the dude is already on a hit network TV show, you should be happy for that fact alone, instead of complaining about a virtual unknown to the general public not getting the lead role in a costly multi-million dollar action movie.

Call me when they make a Fallout film adaption, and cast someone that SDM hates so I can watch his head blow up.

...Yeah, what? I get what you're trying to say in regards to box office, but I think you're ignoring the fact that you don't seem to have the faintest clue about the actor and game the film will be based off.

[Boogey131]

I have no idea what Serenity did at the box office, I mentioned the film by way of saying that Fillion could comfortably be the lead role of a big budget film. Okay, so no name value means it won't be a box office smash, but is anyone seriously expecting it to be, even with Wahlberg? Max Payne didn't exactly smash box office records, and I'm pretty sure video game films in general tend to be a pretty niche genre. The film is never going to be a major financial smash hit, so why not just cast the right people and make a good film that might recoup some losses on DVD thanks to word of mouth, instead of something some people might be fooled into seeing once based on name value (again, of Mark fucking Wahlberg?) and panning it all round.

I think this movie will bomb too, of all the video game adaptations I thought Prince of Persia would have been the one to become a huge success just because it was advertised as a Jerry Bruckheimer thrill-ride style movie and had a big name lead but I don't recall that doing well compared to the budget. To me, that's a perfect example of how hard it is to sell these adaptations to the general audience. Basing it on the trailers POP looked like the Mummy/PotC and depending on the marketing of Uncharted I'm sure it could be comparable to National Treasure/Indiana Jones/Tomb Raider. I don't have a fuckin' clue why Mark Wahlberg has the good fortune of having studios faith in leading roles, but he does and I'm guessing they're hoping his name alone will draw in the Shooter crowd.

As somebody said though, I'm glad Fillion is actually working, I know he wanted this role(from his tweets) but he can sit happy knowing one of the shows he was involved in wasn't cancelled right away.

[Jimmy]

I would argue, in terms of name-value, more people would've heard of Mark Whalberg than Jake Gyllenhall. I agree it would've been great to see Nathan Fillion cast in the role, but Whalberg can put in a strong performance, so I'd say there is hope for him in the role.

[tristy]

I like how Wahlberg + another video game movie = instant bomb at the box office. Who's to say this movie won't blow up and be the biggest movie of 2011/2012/whatever year it's released? I'm sorry, but I don't buy into all of this Nathan Fillion cocksucking going on in here.

I don't particularly care for either actor, never played the game (no PS3), and don't even know what it's about. But, goddamn, the dude is already on a hit network TV show, you should be happy for that fact alone, instead of complaining about a virtual unknown to the general public not getting the lead role in a costly multi-million dollar action movie.

Call me when they make a Fallout film adaption, and cast someone that SDM hates so I can watch his head blow up.

...Yeah, what? I get what you're trying to say in regards to box office, but I think you're ignoring the fact that you don't seem to have the faintest clue about the actor and game the film will be based off.

I know who Nathan Fillion and Mark Wahlberg are. I don't, however, know what the game is about besides something about treasure, and I can't really help that since I have an Xbox 360. I'm not going to run out and buy the console and game just so I can come in here and have my opinion NOT change about how ultimately it all boils down to money, and Nathan Fillion in a big budget action movie won't sell tickets. Wahlberg won't sell 5 million tickets or anything either, but he'll do a lot better than Fillion.

My point was more of, I don't have a bias towards anyone involved in this movie, and I don't have a bias towards the game because I've never played it. Where as alot of people do, since they're Fillion nuthuggers and have been for years and years. If people like Kaney had their way, the motherfucker would replace Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones or something.

[TKz]

I don't really understand the whole 'ITS ALL ABOUT MONEY' thing though. Okay, maybe in the short run Whalberg could bring in some names, but if he doesn't fit the part and the movie stinks because of that, then there's not going to be a request for any more and they lose out on a possible franchise. I realise it's a risk, but surely someone like Fillion who (and yeah, I'm one of his nuthuggers, I've loved everything I've seen him in.) is essentially the basis for Nathan Drake, if they cast him and he does a fantastic job of it and the movie does well, there's not only more money to make there from a future franchise, but they've also made Fillion INTO a bigger name star.

[tristy]

You do realize this is Hollywood, and you just said yourself it's a risk. So... why risk it? They can hire Fillion, MAYBE have a good movie that MIGHT do well, and have the basis for a future franchise. OR, they could hire Wahlberg, still have it rake in some decent cash and then some, and still go ahead with a franchise with a "name" star.

All of this is hypothetical, of course. It can go multiple ways, really. I just don't see the big deal. Sure, Fillion missed out on a big time movie role, but atleast he's on a network television show as someone else pointed out earlier. Maybe the guy is just destined to be a TV star, which isn't a bad thing either. It's done wonders for David Boreanaz

[TKz]

I understand what you're saying, but going from Max Payne I don't think I'd really consider Mark Whalberg to be the guy that brings people in. At least with Fillion you've got the nerds and Whedon fans hooked and then hopefully the trailers/advertising and so on could do the rest. Though you're right, the 'why risk it' approach is obviously the one anyone would take.

And I'm not sure if you're being sarcastic, but I do agree with that. No harm in being a big TV name.

[tristy]

No, I'm not being sarcastic at all. I'm a Boreanaz nuthugger

[Kaney]

If people like Kaney had their way, the motherfucker would replace Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones or something.

The character in the game is essentially Indiana Jones in video game form. Nathon Fillion is essentially the character in real life. I see no problem with this plan.

[LL!]

If people like Kaney had their way, the motherfucker would replace Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones or something.

As if pushing him out of the way and letting Shia LaBeouf take over is a better plan.

[LL!]

Joystiq has posted an interesting interview with "Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception" game director Justin Richmond, who denies that Uncharted: Drake's Fortune movie director David O. Russell previously said the adaptation would feature a "family dynamic."

Russell was quoted by the Los Angeles Times that the movie would expand from the game to include Nate Drake's extended family. "This idea really turns me on that there's a family that's a force to be reckoned with in the world of international art and antiquities... [a family] that deals with heads of state and heads of museums and metes out justice," he reportedly said, adding, "We'll have the family dynamic, which we've done in a couple of movies now... And then you take that and put it on the bigger, more muscular stage of an international action picture, but also put all the character stuff in it. That's a really cool idea to me."

Richmond, however, said Russell denied saying this: "First of all, all that stuff was denied by David O. Russell... He actually called us up and was like, 'I don't know what these guys are talking about.'"

We're not sure how the Los Angeles Times could have gotten direct quotes from Russell wrong, so we'll have to wait and see how this turns out.

Richmond also said that Mark Wahlberg is not confirmed for the role of Nathan Drake yet. It was believed that Wahlberg was set for the role and that Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci were in early talks for roles.

[Benji]

Oh thank fuck. The family dynamic thing I could bear because I can vaguely see how it might work but still be about Nate, but Mark Wahlberg casting would be just awful. Kaney brought up that Nathan Fillion should be Nate and he couldn't be more right if he tried.

[TKz]

http://uk.movies.ign.com/articles/114/1148368p1.html

David O. Russell, the Oscar-nominated director of The Fighter, has signed on to write and direct the big-screen adaptation of the hugely popular Uncharted series with Columbia Pictures, for a rumoured release date of 2013.

Mark Wahlberg, who Russell has collaborated with on three previous movies, looks set to play Nathan Drake, but with unspecified roles rumoured for Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci, and the director circling two big stars for the lead female roles, we wanted to get an update straight from the horse's mouth...

IGN: We were exited to hear you were working on the Uncharted movie...

David O. Russell: Oh yes, I'm very excited about that. It's hard to keep writing in the middle of an Oscar campaign, but I'm almost done with that script, and that's going to be really fantastic.

I think if we take that family dynamic that we have in The Fighter, and put that in terms of a grander stage, with a crime family that metes out justice in the world of art and antiquities. If you're the head of a museum, or head of state, you've got to deal with them, and they're badass.

They're like the Sopranos in some ways, but they have great taste, and they have a sense of justice.

I would love to do that with Mark [Wahlberg], Robert De Niro, and a couple of hot women, it could be very thrilling.

IGN: Do you think that it's possible to please the fans of a much-loved franchise like Uncharted?

David O. Russell: I don't think that you can please everybody, but I will tell you this - I won't make it unless I can make a great movie.

I don't think there are too many games you can play through that make you go - "Well that'll make a great movie." There's not a lot of references on it, so I don't think there's a blueprint that says you must directly translate the game to the screen.

Games are awesome because you're playing them, so that's just a whole other thing. I'm shooting things down and climbing over cliffs, climbing through rooms, of course you have that in an action picture, but if you don't have the characters, and the whole world that's really bizarre, I don't think you have a movie that really grabs you by the throat.

I want the gamers to be happy. I have total respect for the game. My kid loves playing it, I love playing it. I just want to create a world that takes it to another level, that's another amazing world that's more cinematic.

IGN: Of all the video game movies, why was Uncharted the one for you?

David O. Russell: Because it's centred around a family, and I like the combination of criminals and truth. These guys they're tough but they're working on this crazy case, and they can't do it without truth. I think that's cool.

IGN: Will the supernatural elements of the game make it into the movie?

David O. Russell: All I'm going to say - I'm not supposed to talk about it - but what's wrong with the supernatural?

So, basically, it sounds like Russell is just using the Uncharted name as an excuse to make a film that doesn't have anything to do with the franchise? Maybe I'm reading it wrong, but this sounds nothing like the Uncharted film the fans would want. Where's the adventure, the action? I was looking forward to this because I was expecting Indiana Jones meets The Mummy meets King Kong without the giant monkey, a real epic adventure film. Now it turns out Russell wants to make some kind of Gangster film?

[zero]

The streak continues.

I suppose it makes sense, comics had been around forever and they didn't start making consistently watchable comic book movies until the 2000s. Give video games another 30 years and maybe someone will finally do them justice.

[livid]

Big bump but apparently David O. Russell's dropped out which likely means Wahlberg's no longer going to be Drake.

[Maxx]

Tentatively this is good news. I say that until Francis Lawrence and Paul Walker get slotted in instead.

[TKz]

I'm quite glad about this, to be honest. It was getting more and more clear that Russell had no idea what the game was about and had no interest in making the sort of film he was hired to make.