Limitless director on Uncharted movie

By Wesley Yin-Poole Published 8 July, 2011

Take "more closely tied to the game".

Limitless and The Illusionist director Neil Burger has reportedly signed on to write and direct the Uncharted movie following David O. Russell's exit.

According to Variety, Burger was chosen because his take was more closely tied to the first game, Drake's Fortune.

He is said to be reworking the project, putting Mark Wahlberg's role as series star Nathan Drake in doubt.

In May Russell walked away from the project citing creative differences.

Russell's vision for the film would have seen Wahlberg's Nathan Drake as a member of a family of antique traders that also included father Robert De Niro and uncle Joe Pesci.

Russell suffered constant flak from fans of the hugely successful PlayStation 3 exclusive video game series.

"I decided to make Uncharted a really dope crime family in the world of antiquities and art, and I think we can do something very exciting," he said in March this year.

"There's going to be romance and sex, I promise," he said. "Otherwise I'm not interested."

Picture of Wesley.

About Wesley Yin-Poole

Wesley is Eurogamer's news editor. He likes news, interviews, and more news. He also likes Street Fighter more than anyone can get him to shut up about it.

Read more articles from Wesley by visiting the Wesley Yin-Poole archive page.

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Comments (52) Latest comment 11 months ago

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  • CaptainQuint #1 11 months ago

    NATHAN FILLION OR SOD OFF.

  • darleysam #2 11 months ago

    This sounds like a good move. Russell just sounded like a twat trying to pander to the perception that gamers just want tits and explosions.

  • HyperTails #3 11 months ago

    Hopefully this guy will give us the movie that us Uncharted fans want, not the shite that Russell wanted.

  • IonOnion #4 11 months ago

    I suddenly want Bradley Cooper to play Drake.

  • Gimpy_Wonderland #5 11 months ago

    @darleysam: In all fairness, that perception is hardly unfounded.
    Edited by Gimpy_Wonderland at 08/07/11 @ 11:21

  • Jolly_Armadillo #6 11 months ago

    Good stuff, along as the core back story of the 3 main protagonists is the same then I'm happy. Reporter + descendant of Francis drake + long time friend who likes to smoke cigars.

  • SBfistfun #7 11 months ago

    Mark Wahlberg

    LOL

  • el_pollo_diablo #8 11 months ago

    I hope it's like Limitless, in that it starts off with an interesting premise and then does precisely nothing with it for just over an hour and a half.

    Negged? Come on chaps, it didn't even have an ending!
    Edited by el_pollo_diablo at 08/07/11 @ 11:49

  • actionfitz #9 11 months ago

    "He is said to be reworking the project, putting Mark Wahlberg's role as series star Nathan Drake in doubt."

    Nathan Fillion or GTFO!!

    also, Limitless was awesome :D

  • oceanvoyager #10 11 months ago

    @CaptainQuint - exactly right; if he's got any sense at all he'll ditch Walhberg and get Nathan Fillion onboard; he's the perfect guy to play Drake in my opinion.

  • abigsmurf #11 11 months ago

    Neil Burger had the following to say about his vision of the film in an interview:

    "Unlike the previous director, I know how to capture the essense of what makes Uncharted what it is!

    I'm my film Nathan Drake is a father, greiving over the murder of his daughter, who goes on a global quest for revenge on the criminal organisation that killed her!

    Don't worry fans of the game, there will be plenty of gore for you to enjoy!"

  • Jacksie66 #12 11 months ago

    Doesnt matter to fuck who writes, directs etc., this film is gona suck a shitload. Mark Wahlberg.... Feck off.
    Edited by Jacksie66 at 08/07/11 @ 11:33

  • CptSupermarket #13 11 months ago

    fillions way too old for drake, bradley cooper is perfect for the role. +1 for bradley cooper

  • Gumersindo #14 11 months ago

    I love "The Illusionist".

    Mr. Burger, you have my approval

    Nathan Fillion or Bradley Cooper are good choices for Drake

  • madgerald Verified Studio Head of PR & Marketing, Colossal Games LTD #15 11 months ago

    I liked The Illusionist; it was like Derren Brown - The Movie only set 120ish years ago.

    I have high hopes for this; although I'm not sure the whole "Father, murdered daughter" thing is really what Drake is about.

    Give me "Lovejoy - The Movie" and I'll be happy.

  • irrelevanthuman #16 11 months ago

    If ever there was a game that didn't need a movie adaptation Uncharted is it, the games boast stronger storytelling skills and more compelling characterisations than most of Hollywoods output. At least I don't have to go and see it.

  • beastmaster #17 11 months ago

    This is fucking superb news. Much as I like some of Russell's films (HATED I Heart Hucker...just fuck off!!!) he just wasn't the right man for the job.

    Cooper is a much bigger name and as such will hopefully secure a much larger budget and more talent to the project.

  • cw- #18 11 months ago

    Nathan Fillion / Joe Flannigan for Drake!

    @abigsmurf
    source of that 'quote' ?

  • Dr.Mott #19 11 months ago

    I'd much rather Fillion than Cooper, as I can't fucking stand The Hangover. Such a horrendously overrated film.

  • sfp_noodle #20 11 months ago

    Take Nathan Fillion's character out of Serenity and you have Nathan Drake. The only problem is that that movie is 7 years old and Fillion is now 40. No amount of make up could make him look younger like the Drake we know and love in the games. For this reason, I actually think Bradley Cooper could do a good job, and would choose him over Fillion. Cooper is also better known amongst casual film goers so would give the film more appeal.
    Edited by sfp_noodle at 08/07/11 @ 12:02

  • Antonyw999 #21 11 months ago

    "fillions way too old for drake, bradley cooper is perfect for the role"

    He's 4 years older than Cooper. How the fuck does that make him "way too old"? It's the role he was born to play ffs!!

  • Snufkin #22 11 months ago

    Thank GOD Wahlberg is getting the elbow, he's not a terrible actor but is completely wrong for this part.

    Like most I consider Fillion the perfect fit for Drake, but Bradley Cooper....hmmm..... that could work, actually. He's got the right mix of snarky obnoxiousness, good looks and charm. Not a bad suggestion.

  • bodypopper #23 11 months ago

    It's still a film based on a game inspired by films (Indy by way of Romancing The Stone really). That's never a good recipe for success.

  • schnide #24 11 months ago

    @el_pollo_diablo

    Limitless didn't have an ending? Maybe you missed it. It was at the end.

    I loved Limitless. I'm much happier with Burger than Russell. Make it good, bring it on.

  • CaptainQuint #25 11 months ago

    Bradley Cooper is too much of a smug pretty boy. He's not rough around the edges, like Fillion is.

  • cardboardMonster #26 11 months ago

    NATHAN FILLION. NATHAN FILLION. NATHAN FILLION. NATHAN FILLION. NATHAN FILLION. NATHAN FILLION. NATHAN FILLION. NATHAN FILLION. Etc till death. Yeah or Bradley Cooper actually.
    Edited by cardboardMonster at 08/07/11 @ 12:32

  • specular #27 11 months ago

    This movie needs atleast a cameo by Harrison Ford.

  • HyperTails #28 11 months ago

    @General_Ironfist

    The Wachowski brothers?

    After what they did to the Matrix, they should keep as far away from Uncharted as possible. Or any video game adaptation, for that matter.

  • YenooR #29 11 months ago

    I think Cooper would be excellent

  • chris_ace #30 11 months ago

    Post deleted at 11:55:13 13-12-2011

  • funkstar #31 11 months ago

    maybe they'll go with frank lampard :)

  • HyperTails #32 11 months ago

    Right, who is Nathan Fillion? I've never actually seen anything this blokes been in before...

    Sam Worthington would be good for this role. Brilliant in Avatar, and an all round good actor. His names big enough as well.

  • chessboxer #33 11 months ago

    @robotech

    Actually Naughty Dog based Nathan Drake on the likeness of Johnny Knoxville with his personality being a mixture of Harrison Ford, Cary Grant, Bruce Willis and a few others.

    Having said that, I think Joe Flanigan would make an awesome Nathan Drake on film.

  • dfunked #34 11 months ago

    @HyperTails
    Sam Worthington would be an even worse choice than Wahlberg ffs!!
    I reckon Sam Rockwell could do it... He's got the same instantly likeable quality to him as Nathan Drake, and the guy can actually act!

  • the_dudefather #35 11 months ago

    Morgan Freeman as Nathan
    Megan Fox as Sully
    A talking CGI badger puppet as Elena

  • TheEarlOfZinger #36 11 months ago

    Shane Richie or nothing.

  • HenryFitz #37 11 months ago

    They should split the Drake role in two and forget about Sully. Who wants to see yet another cantankerous cigar-smoking old duffer wheezing his way through the jungle? Medicine Man was shit. Anaconda was shit. Congo was shit. What you want is a double-act of dry-witted straight-man action-hero and caustic intellectual sidekick. Alexander Skarsgaard and Joseph-Gordon Levitt for example.

  • bivith #38 11 months ago

    Harisson Ford was 39 when Raiders came out. Fillion is 39, and Cooper is 35. Fillion is not too old for the part.

    And Fillion is the star of a prime time hit TV series (ratings similar to 24 throught it's life span).

    He's plenty well known to the mainstream, and has a built-in geek fan base. It's win win win

  • arcam #39 11 months ago

    I really don't think this film is ever going to get made.

  • thiagots85 #40 11 months ago

    To make an adaptation of game to the big 3D screens (I'm so ashamed to have called them like that... 3d , the end of cinema as we knew =[ ) you have to play the game first... or even bother to read the plot on wikipedia... is not like you just make a plot you wrote, with lots and lots of action, into a gam adaptation, so you can just put the name of chars of some famous game, call a bunch of very well know names and say "it's done"... the result could match to a Uwe Boll movie... or even worse

  • HyperTails #41 11 months ago

    @dfunked

    Sam Worthington's a better actor than Mark Wahlberg. Seriously, have you not seen Avatar? He'd be a believable Drake, honestly.

  • man.the.king #42 11 months ago

    @cw-

    "@abigsmurf
    source of that 'quote' ? "

    His ass! :D

  • CptSupermarket #43 11 months ago

    @Antonyw999

    I stand corrected, Fillion "looks" way too old to play drake....although he in fact may not be. :p

    Edit: Fillion's 40, Cooper 36. 40 is middle aged hence Fillion is automatically disqualified. :p
    Edited by CptSupermarket at 08/07/11 @ 17:31

  • OmniSlash #44 11 months ago

    This will be great. You know why? Because people will watch the film and like/dislike it and probably play the games, and they'll just see that the games are much better than any film adptation anyone might do!

  • jtodroc #45 11 months ago

    If Joe Flannigan is the bloke that was in Stargate, then I think that's a good call. Looks more like Drake than Bradley Cooper.

  • PixelPirate #46 11 months ago

    joe pasquale for drake
    barry chuckle for sully
    paul chuckle for bad guy
    christopher biggins for the elena.

    well. it would be the panto version anyway!

  • alcides #47 11 months ago

    Yays for JOE FLANIGAN!!!!!!!!!!!

    [link url=http://www.gamekyo.com/images_1/b84d57101953dde49f98b135c289ddb120110708232750.png
    ]http://www.gamekyo.com/images_1/b84d5710...[/link]

    Just look as this next-door cutie pie!
    Edited by alcides at 09/07/11 @ 00:29

  • Paul_cz #48 11 months ago

    Nathan Fillion.

    That is all.

  • Matthew_Hornet #49 11 months ago

    Honestly, who cares? We already have a great Drake's Fortune movie.

    It's called Drake's Fortune.

    You even get to play the main character.

  • Anciegher #50 11 months ago

    That guy who played in Limitless would suit the role as Drake pretty good I reckon!

  • Bigglesworth #51 11 months ago

    While I was a fan of Nathan Fillion in Firefly/Serenity, I think people are getting a little carried away. Certainly, he could play Drake pretty well, but using Malcolm Reynolds as a template?? Mal's personality far more dark and intense than Nathan Drake.

  • SpaceMonkey77 #52 11 months ago

    I'd give Wahlberg a shout, because he has the physique that would allow for good stunts etc. Bradley Cooper would be a nice alternative, as he also looks good and is a naturally witty nice guy. Nathan Fillion is cool, but do you really want him in EVERYTHING game related? The chaps doing well enough from the games industry already.

    As for the movie, I think it could do well, in a potentially much better way than how Tomb Raider went down. We know its name, but casual movie goers will just see it as a cool Indy style action adventure flick. The likes of Cooper or Wahlberg, are more likely to get them to watch, and we need more of these flicks to do well, if we want to see more of them.