Has David O. Russell ever even played Uncharted?

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

One of my favorite pastimes is now covering just how much David O. Russell is going to f*ck up the UNCHARTED movie, and with every new update things get further and further away from the source material, a game that I’m increasingly unsure if O. Russell has ever even seen or played.

Speaking to IGN, he further elaborated on his vision for the film:

“It’s hard to keep writing in the middle of an Oscar campaign, but I’m almost done with that script, and that’s going to be really fantastic. I think if we take that family dynamic that we have in The Fighter, and put that in terms of a grander stage, with a crime family that metes out justice in the world of art and antiquities. If you’re the head of a museum, or head of state, you’ve got to deal with them, and they’re badass. They’re like the Sopranos in some ways, but they have great taste, and they have a sense of justice. I would love to do that with Mark [Wahlberg], Robert De Niro, and a couple of hot women, it could be very thrilling.”

A crime family that metes out justice? The Sopranos? What the hell is going on here? Nathan Drake didn’t even have a family in any of the games, much less one that “metes out justice.” Oh, but don’t worry fans:

“I don’t think that you can please everybody, but I will tell you this – I won’t make it unless I can make a great movie… I want the gamers to be happy. I have total respect for the game. My kid loves playing it, I love playing it. I just want to create a world that takes it to another level, that’s another amazing world that’s more cinematic.”

Well that answers my titular question, but that makes it even worse. It’s like he took a look at one of the most cinematic games ever made and went “meh, not good enough, let’s change everything.” Apparently that includes casting Mark Wahblerg and creating an antiques-hunting mafia family.