Uncharted's Final Action Scene Was Ridiculously Complicated To Film: Details
Uncharted director Ruben Fleischer says the new Sony film used practical effects for the major action sequences, building five separate boat pieces to create the final battle. Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg star in this live action adaptation of the popular action-adventure video game. Released on February 18, 2022, the film serves as a prequel to the Uncharted game franchise, following Nathan Drake (Holland) and Victor "Sully" Sullivan (Wahlberg), explaining how Sully becomes a mentor and friend to Drake. Uncharted also features Antonio Banderas, Sophia Taylor Ali, and Tati Gabrielle.
The critically acclaimed Uncharted franchise was one of PlayStation's best selling games to date, adored for its high quality storytelling, comparable to a cinematic experience for players. With endless pirate battles, treasure hunts, and action sequences, Uncharted presented Fleischer some exciting challenges when it came to translating fantastic digital sequences to a film screen. As one might imagine based on the source material, some of these set pieces were extremely complicated to shoot.
In an interview with Polygon, Fleischer admits that reading through the script for the first time was astounding, and he was especially excited to bring a pirate ship battle unlike anything ever before to life. As ships are lifted into the air by helicopters and the battle commences, Fleischer breaks down how his team built five unique set pieces to capture the fight with as many practical effects as possible. Inspired by the dramatic fantasy of the video game, he took a chance on large, jaw-dropping stunts while still trying to tell a story that felt authentic.
"I think the fact that it’s a video game adaptation gave us the license to kind of heighten the reality a little bit. We wanted it to at all times feel grounded, but certainly that tests the laws of physics a little bit. We never built an entire boat...The boat was actually built in like five different pieces and we shot what we needed on each piece. It was a juggling act between first unit, second unit, stunt actors, actors, everybody."
Using practical effects wherever possible allowed audiences to immerse themselves in the story even as men swing over open ocean from one ancient boat to another. Holland's impressive stunt work supports Fleischer's goal of staying grounded during those unbelievable moments. The sheer amount of work that went into putting Uncharted's final action sequence together is a testament to the crew's commitment to delivering an entertaining spectacle. These days, it's easy to lean on CGI as a crutch, so it's nice to see Uncharted made good use of practical effects.
Treating the game as a source material to be inspired by rather than ignored may be one reason Fleischer and his team found success with Uncharted. Though the film earned mixed reviews from critics, it opened at the top spot of the box office and exceeded commercial expectations. Translating the complex worlds of video games to film is a huge challenge, but it seems like Fleischer and his team found a way to bring the two mediums together. As Sony officially looks towards a new Uncharted franchise, they should be careful to continue balancing fantasy and reality properly. With a star studded cast, and a whole series to pull storylines from, audience expectations will begin to rise after a hit first film, so the studio should begin planning for the Uncharted sequel, and decide if they want to bring Fleischer back for another exciting adventure.
Source: Polygon