Presenting a conversation on crafting narratives for video games, film, and television with filmmaker Dan Trachtenberg at the 2018 D.I.C.E. Summit yesterday, Druckmann took the opportunity to share his thoughts about the upcoming film adaptations of the Uncharted series and The Last of Us.
Speaking on the Uncharted adaptation, Druckmann claims he is happy with director Shawn Levy’s approach to the film, saying, “We’ve had some conversations with Shawn Levy, and he’s really passionate, gets it, and I think he understands where we’re at." The upcoming Uncharted film will supposedly focus on the adventures of a younger Nathan Drake (to be played by Tom Holland.)
While having very little to say about the film adaptation of The Last of Us (which has been rumored to have been in development hell for some time), Druckmann did indicate that the initial script he created for film was a direct adaptation of the game’s narrative. Providing further comment on this initial script, he stated, “Now, having some separation from it, I look back like – I don’t want that movie to be made.”
With all of this in mind, it does seem that Naughty Dog is not at all interested in seeing direct adaptations of their acclaimed titles, with Druckmann further reiterating this fact by noting how the studio’s approach to film adaptations has “evolved” over time, saying, “as more time passes on, we’re not excited by a direct adaptation of the story we told, because we feel we’ve already told that story very well cinematically, so I don’t know what else you could bring to it."
Introducing new elements to an already established mythology is always somewhat risky, as writers may potentially anger an existing fanbase. While these risks are present in choosing to avoid making a direct adaptation, an opportunity to add an exciting, original entry into the mythology is also created.
It will be interesting to see whether the Uncharted or The Last of Us adaptations are indeed able to end to the trend of terrible video game film adaptations, but as no release date has been provided to either film, it may take some time to find out.
The Last of Us is available now on PS3 and PS4.
Source: Gamespot
