Writer-director Joe Carnahan has officially confirmed that his script for the long-gestating "Uncharted" movie is now complete. The movie is expected to be the first critically acclaimed video game to film adaptation.
Carnahan posted an image of the finished draft on Instagram. He also pointed out that finishing the script was just the beginning and now the real work would begin. The film had been in development hell since 2009 and Carnahan had been brought in by summer last year to get a script done.
"Done and dusted. Now the real work begins," Carnahan exclaimed. He then went on to boast about the draft's quality, stating "If there's a more monstrously cool action script in Hollywood right now, I wanna read it, 'cuz this thing is a beast."
Carnahan is primarily known for writing and directing films such as "Smokin' Aces," "The A-Team" and "The Grey," all of which were met with positive reviews. He is only credited as the writer for the "Uncharted" movie as "Stranger Things" veteran Shawn Levy has been brought in to direct the project.
Producer Avi Arad went through two different writing teams and three potential directors before settling with Carnahan and Levy, Polygon reported. For a very long time actor Mark Wahlberg was attached to the project as a producer and potential lead actor.
Having a completed script also means that Levy could begin filming the project this year but this has yet to be confirmed by the studios. It is also uncertain what elements of previous drafts Carnahan kept with his version of the story. This could mean the "National Treasures" direction may be dropped, Game Rant reported, in favour of a tone more faithful to the original games.
"Uncharted" follows the adventures of treasure hunter Nathan Drake, an alleged descendant of Sir Francis Drake. In the first game he goes on a hunt to find El Dorado and all of the succeeding games continue this treasure-hunting theme, blending the motifs of "Indiana Jones" and "Tomb Raider."
The trailer for the "Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection" can be viewed below: