Mark Wahlberg Compares Uncharted Script To Indiana Jones

Nathan Drake in Uncharted video game
(Image credit: (Naughty Dog))

A lot of fans are worried about Indiana Jones 5. Harrison Ford is expected to return to the franchise next summer, but there’s been concern about all the shuffling happening behind the scenes, most recently with Steven Spielberg no longer directing the movie. Plus, 2008’s Kingdom of the Crystal Skull wasn’t the most confident homecoming for Indy. But Sony is making a movie adaptation of the popular video game Uncharted starring Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg coming next spring, and it could be what Indy fans are looking for… just without the iconic fedora and whip.

Uncharted is about a treasure hunter named Nathan Drake who travels all over the globe to uncover historical mysteries. So yeah, he's a modern Indiana Jones. The movie has gone through its share of setbacks too. Mark Wahlberg has been attached for so long he was supposed to play Nathan Drake at one point, but now he’ll be his mentor Sully instead. Check out Wahlberg’s update about the upcoming action-adventure movie:

I start filming in about two weeks time. It’s exciting because, without giving too much away, it’s more of an origin story. Meeting them, and Nathan becoming Nathan. Sully and him meeting, trying to not only get over on each other, but also starting to partner up and develop that relationship. It’ll be very cool. It’s the first time I’m in a movie that’s a movie. I felt like when I was reading it, I was reading Indiana Jones or Thomas Crown Affair. It’s got these great elements of these heist movies and adventure movies like I’ve never been a part of.

It sounds like Mark Wahlberg really digs the Uncharted script! His words follow Tom Holland, who called it one of the best scripts he’s ever read. The pair are set to start filming this month alongside Antonio Banderas, Grey's Anatomy's Sophia Ali and The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina’s Tati Gabrielle, all of whom have been cast in undisclosed roles. The script was co-written by Joe Carnahan, who worked on Bad Boys For Life, Pride and Glory and Smokin’ Aces, and will be directed by Venom and Zombieland’s Ruben Fleischer.

It’s interesting that Mark Wahlberg singled out Uncharted as the first real movie in a sense he’s been in. The 48-year-old actor has been in a load of impressive projects throughout his career, including The Italian Job, Martin Scorsese’s The Departed, 2 Guns and Mile 22. What makes Uncharted different? The script certainly made an impression on the actor, and we can’t wait to see how the video game adaptation does when it comes next March.

Mark Wahlberg spoke to Collider about Uncharted while promoting his new Netflix movie, Spenser Confidential with Black Panther’s Winston Duke, Iliza Shlesinger, Alan Arkin and Post Malone. The movie is about an ex-cop who forms an unlikely partnership with his roommate to take down criminals. The movie hits the streaming platform on Friday, March 6.

And on the same day, Tom Holland’s latest movie is hitting theaters. The Spider-Man actor has teamed up with Chris Pratt and Pixar for a modern-fantasy film, Pixar's Onward.

Sarah El-Mahmoud
Staff Writer

Sarah El-Mahmoud has been with CinemaBlend since 2018 after graduating from Cal State Fullerton with a degree in Journalism. In college, she was the Managing Editor of the award-winning college paper, The Daily Titan, where she specialized in writing/editing long-form features, profiles and arts & entertainment coverage, including her first run-in with movie reporting, with a phone interview with Guillermo del Toro for Best Picture winner, The Shape of Water. Now she's into covering YA television and movies, and plenty of horror. Word webslinger. All her writing should be read in Sarah Connor’s Terminator 2 voice over.