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David O. Russell quits Uncharted movie
Talk about missing out on a climax! Here we were working up a nice head of rich, foamy hatred for David O. Russell's upcoming film adaptation of the Uncharted series, and the guy goes and quits on the whole project! If you'll remember, Russell (director of The Fighter and Three Kings) had planned to tell a story about a family of art thieves and call it "Uncharted," for reasons we still can't grok. No reason was given in the exclusive Variety report, but we're hoping for a two-word release on the subject later that simply reads "Sanity prevailed." [Thanks, Tyler C.]
David O. Russell responds to Uncharted movie fan concerns
David O. Russell is currently making headlines as the Academy Award-nominated director of The Fighter. But gamers are probably more interested in one of his next projects: a silver screen adaptation of the Uncharted series. The numerous changes made to the core story have some fans concerned that Russell simply doesn't get it. Responding to those accusations, Russell told SlashFilm that he's "played the game a bunch of times" and has even met Naughty Dog's Amy Hennig. "As far as I'm concerned, I'm very respectful as far as the core content and spirit of the game." Russell argues that "there's not a bunch of movies you can point to that are made from games that are amazing movies, that stand up to time as a franchise or as [individual films]." By focusing on "what I think is going to be an amazing movie," Russell says that "it's going to be real, it's going to be raw, it's going to be intense, it's going to be original, and it's going to be propulsive." (And he apparently doesn't know who Nathan Fillion is.)
Russell still writing Uncharted flick, talks picks for Elena
The push-and-pull saga of the Uncharted film adaptation continues, as David O. Russell has informed Empire Online that he's still working on the script (despite reports to the contrary). He also reaffirmed that he wants both Mark Wahlberg and Robert De Niro to star in the film. Speaking of the film's female roles, Russell noted that he has "cultivated" the character of Elena "quite a bit." Said Russell, "I love the woman characters and the more robust they are, the more robust the movie." When asked if Amy Adams would fit the role, Russell stated that he would "love" her in the part (Adams recently worked with Russell on The Fighter). Another name mentioned by Russell: One Scarlett Johansson. Of course, Russell seems to be overlooking the obvious. One word: Streep. Come on David, she's box office gold!
Watch two sizzling minutes of NGP games in action
Wasn't it so boss when Sony showed off a full two-minute clip of gameplay footage on its just revealed "next generation portable" last night? You know, the clip that showcased Uncharted, Killzone, Gravity Daze, LittleBigPlanet, Reality Fighters, and all those other games? According to excited attendees of Sony's press conference, the clip was rather thrilling -- unfortunately, Sony has yet to release it. Thankfully, a rogue cameraperson captured the whole thing and, at least for the time being, has made it available on YouTube (with remarkably steady hands, we might add). Call us weird, but Reality Fighters has us more excited than anything else. Maybe you didn't notice there's a banana suit? See for yourself after the break.
Portable Uncharted developed by Sony Bend, has 'camera mode'
You know how it is when new tech is announced. You let the magic of the moment get to you, the whimsy, and suddenly you're thinking all kinds of crazy things like, "Maybe Naughty Dog is developing the Uncharted NGP game they just showed off!" Sure, we realize in the light of day -- as we sweep up the glitter and take down the disco ball -- that we were just a little too hopeful last night. But luckily, the reality isn't too bad at all: Game Informer reports PortaDrake (working title [ours]) is being developed by Sony Bend (Logan's Shadow, Resistance: Retribution) with oversight from Naughty Dog. Across the web, hands-on impressions of the game seem to be positive, with the "gimmicky" features (swipe the device's back to climb a rope?) either working better than expected or being ignored without incident. Also interesting: PortaDrake features a "camera mode" that lets you use NGP's motion-sensing tech to look around your environment and take photos. No word on connectivity with Uncharted 3 yet, but no one's ruling it out.
Uncharted, Killzone, Resistance, LBP ... and Little Deviants among 'NGP' games in development
Sony's bringing out its biggest guns for its new little game machine, the device currently known as "NGP." A slide revealed franchises currently in development for the newly announced handheld, including familiar names like Hot Shots Golf, LittleBigPlanet, WipEout, Killzone, Resistance, and PS3 showpiece Uncharted. Sony's Shuhei Yoshida showed off the Uncharted game, and revealed some controls new to the series: you can touch the screen (or press X) to jump, swing the NGP back and forth to swing on vines, and climb using the device's rear touch panel "as if you're climbing a vine with both hands."The new IPs sound a bit more, um, eclectic: Gravity Daze, Reality Fighters (an augmented reality title), Smart As, Broken, and the delightful-sounding Little Deviants. Update: PlayStation Blog confirms the complete list of game franchises noted at PlayStation Meeting 2011 with NGP iterations in development: Call of Duty Broken Gravity Daze Hot Shots Golf Hustle Kings Killzone LittleBigPlanet Little Deviants Reality Fighters Resistance Smart As Uncharted WipEout
Wahlberg apparently still playing Uncharted's Drake
You guys have got to stop playing with our emotions. First we hear Mark Wahlberg is definitely playing Nathan Drake in an Uncharted movie being created by The Fighter director David O. Russell. Then, Uncharted 3 director Justin Richmond told us that Russell had denied the whole story. Now, Wahlberg tells Moviehole "David O'Russell [sic] is writing right now and hopes to direct. It's myself, Joe Pesci and Robert De Niro." Listen guys, we know we want to write a maelstrom of angry tweets about this project, but we need to know precisely what unseen force we'll be railing against. Can you please just help us out and tell us specifically who will be to blame for ruining Uncharted for us forever? [Thanks Andrew T.]
Take a good, long look at the first Uncharted 3 gameplay footage
Sony has released a pair of Uncharted 3 gameplay videos, comprising most of what we saw at a recent press event (and what Fallon stumbled through on Late Night). Seen after the break, Drake and Sully have found their way to an overgrown French chateau on the path of T.E. Laurence. As they find what they came for, a group of thugs from a mysterious cult -- hint: the bad guys! -- shows up to burn the place down ... with our heroes inside. Keep an eye out for Drake's new combat moves, including kicking one enemy while being grappled by another, a flying stealth attack and some weapon-grabbing takedowns. Also take notice of Naughty Dog's slick new fire modeling as it consumes the crumbling chateau. It's too bad Drake and Sully appear to be falling to a fiery death at the end of the second clip -- the game probably would have turned out to be excellent.
Uncharted 3 preview: A Drake and Sully story
As expected, Naughty Dog officially premiered the Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception trailer at the VGAs recently, and a day later at a Hollywood club, the company invited us to come see the very first gameplay demo. We got to see a short, early segment ofthe game featuring Nathan Drake and partner Sully trying to escape from a burning chateau, and Art Director Robh Ruppel and Lead Game Designer Richard Lemarchand spoke with us about how the second sequel in the acclaimed series is new and different from the rest. The simplest answer is that it takes place in the desert. Creative Director Amy Hennig says that Naughty Dog has challenged themselves to portray "sand in all of its forms," and Uncharted 3 will try to do exactly that, eventually taking its now familiar characters (as well as some new faces) into the Arabian Peninsula. The central chase of the game revolves around explorer T.E. Laurence and his search for an ancient city of Arabian treasure, alternately known as Ubar, Iram of the Pillars, or as it will be called in the game, the Atlantis of the Sands. But outside of the new setting, Uncharted 3 is set to improve upon Naughty Dog's successful formula in a few other ways as well. Nathan Drake has never been more adept at fighting groups of enemies, more animated and active, or more grounded in his own environments than he is here.%Gallery-111529%
Sony announces Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception with 3D support
Sony is serious about using videogames to push its 3D agenda, and the latest title it's announced to feature support is Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception. One of the top series on its PlayStation 3 console, it's not hard to figure out why this would join Killzone 3 and Gran Turismo 5 on the 3D shelf when it's released November 1st, 2011. Check out the trailer from the VGA's after the break and if you need more information, there should be some unveiled tonight on the Jimmy Fallon show.
David O. Russell talks about his vision for the Uncharted movie
We're gonna deliver this news quickly, like the hasty removal of a Band-Aid: David O. Russell's Mark Wahlberg-fronted Uncharted film adaptation isn't off to an awesome start. After Wahlberg confirmed his involvement last week, Russell spoke to the LA Times about his vision for the film, saying: "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 ... We'll have the family dynamic, which we've done in a couple of movies now. And then you take that and put it on the bigger, more muscular stage of an international action picture, but also put all the character stuff in it. That's a really cool idea to me." Russell added that the pace at which the film's development is moving along is "a locomotive," and that he's already penned about half of the script -- meaning there's plenty of time to just like, sit back, spend some time with the two already very movie-like Uncharted games, and just like, reevaluate some stuff. Specifically, all of that stuff you said right there, about a family that doles out justice to museum owners. That whole ... part. Everything. All of it. As a fun experiment, we added some other, totally made-up quotes about other film projects Mr. Russell (O'Russell?) might be interested in. Join us!
Uncharted movie to star Mark Wahlberg
Mark Wahlberg has confirmed in an MTV interview that he expects to star in the Uncharted film. The actor, who also starred in ill-fated film-to-game adaptation Max Payne, says director David O. Russell (who he had previously worked with on Three Kings and The Fighter) plans to start shooting next summer. This, of course, means the geek-approved casting of Nathan Fillion in the role of Nathan Drake is out. Although Wahlberg never specifically says he'll play the role of Nathan Drake, it was strongly implied by the actor when he said that Russell wants to cast Joe Pesci as his uncle and Robert De Niro as his father. Wahlberg says the movie is not going to be a "watered-down version, that's for sure." After all, with so many actors who can expertly deliver an f-bomb, it would be a shame if the T-rated game doesn't become an R-rated spectacle. Check out the MTV interview after the break.
Original Uncharted novel in the works from Del Rey Books
Would the action-packed plotline of the Uncharted series be quite so thrilling without all that pesky interactivity? We'll get our chance to find out next fall, when Del Rey Books publishes Uncharted: The Fourth Labyrinth, a novel based on a completely original Nathan Drake adventure. We're praying that the book's title is alluding to an eventual meeting between Drake and the Goblin King. The novel will be penned by Christopher Golden, whose work includes a handful of comic books and novelizations based on Angel and Buffy the Vampire Slayer -- he even wrote the script for the two video games based on the latter of those two franchises. He certainly sounds qualified to write an Uncharted book, though we suppose that depends entirely on how he'd fill out this sentence: "Nathan Drake drove the [form of motor vehicle] off of the [tall surface], causing a [adjective describing size] explosion."
Nathan Fillion wants Nathan Drake role in Uncharted movie
According to a recent tweet, it looks like Firefly and Castle star Nathan Fillion wants to fill the shoes of Nathan Drake in the upcoming Uncharted movie. With director David O. Russell reportedly back on the project and a first draft script apparently finished, Fillion implored his fans to rise to the occasion. Tweeted Fillion, "If ever there was a Twitter campaign, let this be it. Rise, ye Browncoats. Rise, ye Castillions. RISE!" We will, Cap'n Mal. We will. Also, if it does happen, we called it. %Poll-54135%
Report: David O. Russell back on board for Uncharted movie
Director David O. Russell has had a very on-and-off relationship with the film adaptation of Naughty Dog's Uncharted series -- in that he was once on the film, and then he was off of it. According to a report from The Hollywood Reporter, Russell has signed back on to the film as director, temporarily sidelining his other upcoming project, a film remake of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Dude's got taste when it comes to his choice of projects, we'll give him that. The report doesn't mention whether or not Russell's rejoining of the crew means the film will make its initial 2011 release window. Nor does it mention whether our heart's wish will come true, and get Charlie Sheen to star as the series' ill-tucked protagonist, Nathan Drake. Think about it! He's perfect.
David O. Russell off Uncharted movie, 2011 release unlikely
David O. Russell, director of Three Kings, I Heart Huckabees and Spanking the Monkey, is no longer being considered for the job of directing the Uncharted: Drake's Fortune movie. The LA Times reports that Sony-owned Columbia Pictures, the movie's producers and Russell were unable to reach terms satisfactory to all parties, and now the studio has to start looking for directing talent once again, while also searching for lead actors. The Times' Steven Zeitchik speculates that the delay caused by the lost director scuttles any chance Sony had of having the movie done in time for a 2011 release. At this rate, it'll probably coincide with the release of Uncharted 4: Baby Drake's Crystal Crawl. That's right, we're calling it now: Naughty Dog's going to change up the gameplay with a tale from Nate Drake's infancy.
Uncharted 2 multiplayer getting experimental playlists starting May 28
Naughty Dog appreciates the importance of keeping things fresh for folks who partake in the multiplayer portion of Uncharted 2. That's why, starting the weekend of May 28, the developer will launch a series of experimental online playlists every other week, as part of a promotion labeled "The Lab." For instance, this coming weekend will see the temporary introduction of a 2 vs. 2 Team Deathmatch mode, in which pairs of players race to 25 kills. As an added bonus, this Memorial Day weekend will also earn players double cash, which should entice the prodigal treasure hunters among you to return to the fold. Check out Naughty Dog's naughty blog for more info on future experimental playlists.
LA Times: David O. Russell in talks for Uncharted film
Things have been quiet in regards to Nathan Drake's death-defying (yet impeccably animated!) leap from video games to film, but the LA Times reports that may be changing. The paper says director David O. Russell (of I Heart Huckabees fame) is in early talks to bring the Uncharted franchise to the big screen, though he's reportedly not the only name on the list. Our friendly advice to the film's producers: It was already made, it starred the charming pairing of Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey and it was called Fool's Gold. Now, make your peace with that fact and move on. [Via Slashfilm]
Enormous Uncharted 2 artbook is a costly relic
While some special edition artbooks could be politely identified as "pamphlets," Naughty Dog has taken a different approach with its illustration-filled tome based on Uncharted 2. The studio (with help from Ballistic Publishing) is releasing a 272-page book featuring the game's "concept art ... character studies, environment art, character modeling, game art, cinematics, motion-capture, animation, and effects." However, all these half-tucked works of art exact a fairly high price from those who wish to acquire them. There are three versions of the art book: a softcover print which costs $59.99, a leather-bound "special edition" which costs $129.99, and a $300 Limited Folio Edition, which is bound in suede leather, embossed in gold, placed within another suede leather-bound presentation case, and includes a certificate of authenticity signed by the game's designers. Only 200 ostentatiously rich Nate Drake enthusiasts will get their hands on this limited print, so interested parties should hop off their money-chairs and pre-order now. [Via Press The Buttons]
Please pre-order these gorgeous gaming posters for us
People are always saying, "Joystiq, you do so much for me, how can I give back to you?" It's a fine question, and one that we finally have an answer to: You can go and pre-order one of these amazing minimalist video game posters by our friend, Justin Russo. Do we ask this because Justin was on an episode of the Joystiq Podcast once? No, we're far too self-centered to actually help another human. No, we just want him to reach his goal so he'll have enough funding to get the things made and shipped to our home base. Seriously, look at them! How do you not want one? %Gallery-89973%
