Well, this is a weird one. In the run up to the release of “The Fighter,” director David O. Russell and star Mark Wahlberg openly and gladly talked about what appeared to be their forthcoming collaboration on the big screen version of the popular video game “Uncharted.” But now, according to “Uncharted 3” video game director Justin Richmond, none of the things Russell actually said were true and Wahlberg is not signed on to the film. Huh?
Speaking with Joystiq, Richmond says Russell personally called up the video game makers to deny his own comments about the film being a centered around Drake’s extended family. “He actually called us up and was like, ‘I don’t know what these guys are talking about.’” He also adds, that Mark Wahlberg is not locked in for the film.
So how does Richmond know so much about the developing film? We frankly have no idea and something seems amiss about all this. While it’s certainly likely that Wahlberg hasn’t signed any contracts yet, he’s obviously being chatting pretty extensively with Russell about the film and given their longstanding professional relationship and personal friendship, we don’t doubt they want to work together again.
As for Russell denying his own words, we’re not quite sure what to make of it. “This idea really turns me on that there’s a family that’s a force to be reckoned with in the world of international art and antiquities … [a family] that deals with heads of state and heads of museums and metes out justice,” Russell told the LA Times at the beginning of the month. So either, Russell is spilling the beans on the project prematurely and is trying to do damage control with the video game folk or the LA Times really, really, really took his words out of context. Maybe he was talking about an episode of “Pawn Stars” he saw? Yeah, somehow we doubt it.
Anyway, Richmond seems to have a line (or knows someone who has a line) close to the development of the film, so somewhere in here is the truth but lord knows we don’t know what it is anymore. So there is an “Uncharted” movie coming, directed by David O. Russell, and it will be a tale of a family antiquities dealers who kick ass (or won’t) and it will star Mark Wahlberg (or not). Hopefully, some clarification will arrive soon. And oh yeah, in case you missed it, some super dork recently cornered David O. Russell at a screening of “The Fighter” and tried to pitch Nathan Fillion (more evidence he has the worst fans ever) to play the lead in “Uncharted.”
