Tom Holland Once Pitched a Young James Bond Film That Ultimately Influenced Uncharted
According to a new interview with Uncharted actor Tom Holland, who plays Nathan Drake in the movie, Holland's take on Drake and the Uncharted movie in its current form seems to have really kicked off with a failed movie pitch to Sony somewhere around the time of Spider-Man: Far From Home. More specifically, a movie pitch about a young James Bond.
"It was the origin story of James Bond," Holland recently recounted to Total Film. "It didn't really make sense. It didn't work. It was the dream of a young kid, and I don't think the Bond estate were particularly interested."
An adaptation of the Uncharted series of games had been in the works for years and years at that point, of course. But given previous reports, it seems like nothing really seriously started coming together until late 2019. And, according to Holland, that failed James Bond pitch ultimately ended up influencing the direction of Uncharted.
"The idea of a young Bond film sparked this idea, in turn, that you could do a Nathan Drake story as an origin story, rather than as an addition to the games. And that opened a conversation," he added.
"Uncharted introduces audiences to street-smart Nathan Drake (Tom Holland) and showcases his first treasure-hunting adventure with wisecracking partner Victor 'Sully' Sullivan (Mark Wahlberg)," the synopsis for the upcoming movie reads. "Inspired by the acclaimed video game series, this action-adventure epic spans the globe and follows Nate and Sully as they embark on the dangerous pursuit of 'the greatest treasure never found' while also tracking clues that may lead to Nate's long-lost brother."
The Uncharted movie is currently set to release in theaters on February 18th after several delays. It stars Tom Holland as Nathan Drake, Mark Wahlberg as Victor "Sully" Sullivan, and Antonio Banderas in an unnamed role. The film will also feature Sophia Ali (Grey's Anatomy) as Chloe Frazer and Tati Gabrielle (The 100) as Braddock. Venom director Ruben Fleischer serves as director of the adaptation. You can check out all of our previous coverage of the upcoming Uncharted movie right here.
What do you think about Holland having pitched a young James Bond movie -- and its seeming influence on what Uncharted ultimately came to be? Let us know in the comments, or feel free to reach out and hit me up directly over on Twitter at @rollinbishop to talk about all things gaming!