With this latest directorial departure in what is shaping up to be a long line of directorial departures for Sony's film adaptation of the Uncharted series, perhaps it's time to re-examine why this movie needs to happen in the first place. Oh wait, because money. Duh
But seriously, Travis Knight's abrupt exit from the director's chair makes him the sixth to do so, which is an alarming number for any production. On top of that, and what is perhaps more questionable, is that his departure is reportedly the result of perpetual delays in the film's production, which is for the most part a result of one Tom Holland's busy schedule.
I'm admittedly not an expert in the alchemy that goes into film-making, but to this outsider, it seems a little reckless to base a film's viability solely on its leading actor. That said, I totally get it - his ongoing role as Spiderman in the MCU makes Tom Holland one of Sony's most profitable exports, which makes him the studio's de facto Golden Boy. Taking that into consideration, it doesn't seem like a far-stretch to think that the studio would value his inclusion in the Uncharted film over literally everyone else. It's just not a smart move, and doesn't exactly speak volumes about the studio's confidence in the film's creative team.
Additionally, and as far as I can tell, nobody seems especially keen on an Uncharted movie in the first place, so would Tom Holland's adorable disposition even be enough to get people to care? The thing is, the Uncharted games are inherently largely derivative of action/adventure films of the past - most notably, the Indiana Jones franchise. To that end, what makes Uncharted unique is that it takes the Indiana Jones formula and makes it interactive, so that players can embody the suave action hero that overcomes impossible odds in his quest for adventure.
Is it just me, or does taking that experience and once again trying to revert it back to a passive, film-viewing experience seem unnecessary.
Fortunately, the Uncharted film production's ongoing setbacks are likely chipping away at Sony's patience, so if this stop-go trend keeps up, it's more than likely that it will be shelved indefinitely. After all, the studio has managed to garner so much goodwill by allowing their cash-cow, Spiderman, to play with the other Marvel superheroes, so is it really in their best interest to go through with a film that is more likely to anger fans than please them?
