I’m almost positive I mentioned Mark Wahlberg as a likely candidate for the lead role in David O. Russell’s Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune considering the actor’s past with the writer/director, but for the life of me I can’t find where I said it or if I said it. Oh well, it’s happening as MTV gets confirmation from Wahlberg saying, “David is one of the best writer/directors I’ve ever worked with… The idea that he has [for Uncharted] is just insane. So hopefully we’ll be making that movie this summer.”
Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune is an adaptation of the Sony Computer Entertainment videogame of the same name, centering on a 400-year-old clue in the coffin of Sir Francis Drake setting Nathan Drake (Wahlberg), a modern-day fortune hunter on an exploration for the fabled treasure of El Dorado, leading to the discovery of a forgotten island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The search turns deadly when Drake becomes stranded on the island and hunted by mercenaries. Outnumbered and outgunned, Drake and his companions must fight to survive as they begin to unravel the terrible secrets hidden on the island.
Wahlberg also confirms previous rumors that Russell has approached Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci to star in the film as Drake’s father and uncle respectively. “That’s who he wants to write the parts for. I talked to Pesci about it and I know David’s people have talked to [Robert De Niro],” he said. “I’m obviously in whatever David wants to do but the idea of it is so off the charts: De Niro being my father, Pesci being my uncle. It’s not going to be the watered-down version, that’s for sure.”
It almost sounds like Wahlberg is excited this may be everything the dreadful Max Payne wasn’t.
It’s also obvious Russell is writing a bit of a different story that was seen in the games, or he’s simply mixing the Indiana Jones mythos in with what is pretty much a more modern day style of Indy story. I almost expect De Niro to step in and take over the role of Sullie, who in the game was simply one of Drake’s fortune hunting buddies, but perhaps a stronger tie is going to be formed here to ramp up the emotional factor.
The other main characters left to be cast include Drake’s female sidekick, Elena, and the story’s primary villain Navarro. That is, unless Russell has changed more than we realize.
Not being much of a gamer, it’s nice to actually have a little insight on one of these things for a change.
