Uncharted Live Action Fan Film
The Uncharted Live Action Fan Film is a 2018 action adventure short film directed by Allan Ungar and co-written by Ungar and Jesse Wheeler. It is based on the best selling PlayStation franchise Uncharted by Naughty Dog. It was released on YouTube on July 16, 2018, and stars Nathan Fillion, Stephen Lang, Geno Segers, Mircea Monroe, and Ernie Reyes Jr.[1][2]
Uncharted Live Action Fan Film | |
---|---|
Thumbnail of the short film | |
Directed by | Allan Ungar |
Produced by |
|
Written by |
|
Starring | |
Music by |
|
Cinematography | Alex Chinnici |
Edited by | Allan Ungar |
Release date |
|
Running time | 14 Minutes |
Country | Canada |
Language | English |
Cast
- Nathan Fillion as Nathan Drake[3]
- Stephen Lang as Victor Sullivan
- Geno Segers as Diego
- Mircea Monroe as Elena Fisher
- Ernie Reyes Jr. as El Tigre
Synopsis
Based on the best selling video game, treasure hunter Nathan Drake (Nathan Fillion) finds himself captured while searching for the lost treasure of the Flor de la Mar.
Production
Ungar and Fillion were introduced to one another by a mutual friend in January 2018 after Ungar expressed interest in speaking to Fillion about the project.[4] Principal photography on the film began May 7, 2018 in Los Angeles, California and lasted for five days.[5] The opening scenes were shot in Palmdale, California and the exteriors of the mansion were shot in Santa Clarita. The interiors were shot in Beverly Hills while the final scene was shot in Malibu, California.[6] Fillion trained for the role and also performed most of his own stunts.[7][8] According to Fillion and Ungar, most of the crew did not know what it was they were working on until Fillion showed up in wardrobe, as the production was set up under the fake title 'Breaking and Entering' which is a reference to a chapter in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.[9]
Release
Nathan Fillion released the film through Twitter, Instagram and YouTube after dropping some teases on his social media.[10] It reached over 2 million views in its first two days.[11] Since its release, fans have taken to social media campaigning for Netflix or YouTube Premium to turn it into a digital series.
Reception
Critical reception for Uncharted has been positive with journalists, fans, and bloggers praising Fillion's performance as well as Ungar's direction.[12][13][14] The Verge called it "film's only good video game adaptation" while Kotaku labelled it as "just about everything you’d want from an Uncharted movie: witty quips, fun twists, esoteric history references, and even a pivot to Video Game Mode for a gun fight." Phil Hornshaw of The Wrap said "Ungar’s fan film pretty perfectly captures the feel of the game series, which has always carried the feel of a big-budget summer blockbuster movie. Fillion is a good fit for the role of the wise-cracking and amiable Drake; Stephen Lang (“Avatar,” “Don't Breathe”) takes on the role of Sully in the fan film, and Mircea Monroe (“Episodes”) plays Elena. The script is dead-on “Uncharted,” cutting from Nate firing off a bunch of jokes to a quick history lesson about 16th century conqueror Afonso de Albuquerque and explorer Ferdinand Magellan." Buzzfeed was one of the many outlets that advocated for the short to turn into something more.[4]
Naughty Dog vice president Neil Druckmann and franchise creator Amy Hennig both shared their support on social media along with many other gaming creators.[15]
References
- Miller, Liz Shannon (17 July 2018). "'Uncharted' Fan Film: Nathan Fillion Explains How His Dream of Playing Nathan Drake Came True". IndieWire.
- Tassi, Paul (16 July 2018). "Watch Nathan Fillion Finally Play Nathan Drake". Forbes.
- Schreier, Jason (July 16, 2018). "Nathan Fillion Made an 'Uncharted' Fan-Film And It Is Excellent". Kotaku.com. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
- Golder, Andy (July 17, 2018). "This Uncharted Fan Film Starring Nathan Fillion Is So Damn Good". Buzzfeed. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
- Lussier, Germain (July 18, 2018). "How Nathan Fillion's Uncharted Fan Film Came To Be". Gizmodo.com. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
- Shanley, Patrick (July 17, 2018). "Nathan Fillion is Open to More Uncharted After Project Goes Viral". Hollywood Reporter.
- Jennings, Jackie (July 20, 2018). "Nathan Fillion and Allan Ungar share the origin of their Uncharted fan film". Syfy. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
- Pearson, Ben (July 17, 2018). "Nathan Fillion Talks His Uncharted Short Film and Clears Up a Pesky Rumor". /Film.
- Sapieha, Chad (July 19, 2018). "Seven Minutes with Nathan Fillion and Allan Ungar on their viral Uncharted Fan Film". Financial Post. Retrieved July 19, 2018.
- Hornshaw, Phil (16 July 2018). "It Turns Out That 'Uncharted' Project Nathan Fillion Teased is a Fan Film". The Wrap.
- Romano, Nick (July 17, 2018). "Nathan Fillion's Uncharted fan film could lead to something further". Entertainment Weekly.
- Scott, Ryan (2018-07-16). "Watch Nathan Fillion in Awesome Uncharted Fan-Made Short". MovieWeb. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
- Libbey, Dirk (2018-07-16). "Nathan Fillion Made An 'Uncharted' Fan Film, And It's Incredible". Cinema Blend. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
- McWhertor, Michael (July 16, 2018). "Nathan Fillion Stars as Nathan Drake in Uncharted Fan Film". Polygon.com.
- Vejvoda, Jim (2018-07-26). "Uncharted Fan Film Director and Nathan Fillion on Naughty Dog's Reaction". IGN. Retrieved 26 July 2018.