Coronavirus Pandemic Delays Production of Sony's Uncharted Movie

The production of Sony's Uncharted movie has been troubled to say the least. After several false starts, a revolving door of directors, and two different leads, the movie was finally set to begin filming next month in Berlin. Unfortunately, according to Variety, the coronavirus pandemic has led to a pause in pre-production, which is currently expected to last six weeks. The film is set to feature a younger take on star Nathan Drake, played by Tom Holland. Holland's role in the film has reportedly led to some issues, as Sony is desperate to begin filming in time for Holland to begin work on the studio's next Spider-Man film.

Uncharted was set to release March 5, 2021, but it will be interesting to see if the movie will be able to make that date. A six-week delay shouldn't prove too difficult, but if the situation surrounding COVID-19 results in further delays, it will likely force Sony to make some difficult decisions in regards to filming on the next Spider-Man movie.

Sony clearly sees Uncharted as an important project. Uncharted has been a major property for Sony since the first game in the franchise released on PlayStation 3 back in 2007. With a younger star like Tom Holland in the role, Sony could have a major film franchise on their hands, if it proves successful, and it could go a long way towards elevating the video games in the public conscious. While the series is well known to gamers, it doesn't have the same brand awareness of other recent video game source material, such as Sonic and Pokemon. However, if Sony can find a way to make the scheduling work with Tom Holland, his star power could help the film prove successful.

Holland is set to star alongside Mark Wahlberg, an actor originally attached to play Nathan Drake back in 2009. Wahlberg is now playing Drake's long-time mentor Victor "Sully" Sullivan.

While the film's other production issues have rested on Sony's shoulders, the studio can hardly be blamed for the current delay. The coronavirus pandemic has resulted in a number of other productions shutting down, as well. Time will tell just how quickly production can start up again, and whether or not the March 5th 2021 release date will remain feasible.

How do you feel about the upcoming Uncharted movie? Do you think the film will prove successful? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!