Uncharted Live Action Fan Film

{{Infobox film

| image = UnchartedLiveActionFanFilmThumbnail.jpeg

| alt = Nathan Fillion as Nathan Drake

| caption = Thumbnail of the short film

| director = Allan Ungar

| writer = {{Plainlist|

Allan Ungar
Jesse Wheeler

}}

| based_on = {{Based on|Uncharted|Naughty Dog}}

| producer = {{Plainlist|

Nathan Fillion
Allan Ungar
Jesse Wheeler
Bruno Marino

}}

| starring = {{Plainlist|

}}

| cinematography = Alex Chinnici

| editing = Allan Ungar

| music = {{Plainlist|

Aaron Gilhuis
Jacob Shea

}}

| released = {{Film date|2018|07|16}}

| runtime = 14 minutes

| country = United States

| language = English

}}

The Uncharted Live Action Fan Film is a 2018 action-adventure short film based on the Uncharted video game series by Naughty Dog. Directed by Allan Ungar and co-written by Ungar and Jesse Wheeler, it was released on YouTube on July 16, 2018, and stars Nathan Fillion, Stephen Lang, Geno Segers, Mircea Monroe, and Ernie Reyes Jr.{{cite news |last1=Miller |first1=Liz Shannon |title='Uncharted' Fan Film: Nathan Fillion Explains How His Dream of Playing Nathan Drake Came True |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2018/07/uncharted-fan-film-nathan-fillion-interview-1201984669/ |work=IndieWire |date=July 17, 2018}}{{cite news |last1=Tassi |first1=Paul |title= Watch Nathan Fillion Finally Play Nathan Drake |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2018/07/16/watch-nathan-fillion-finally-play-nathan-drake-in-a-bizarre-awesome-fan-film/#2c9eb8905616/ |work=Forbes |date=July 16, 2018}}

Synopsis

Treasure hunter Nathan Drake finds himself captured while searching for the lost treasure of the Flor de la Mar.

Cast

Nathan Fillion as Nathan Drake{{cite news |last1=Schreier |first1=Jason |title=Nathan Fillion Made an 'Uncharted' Fan-Film And It Is Excellent |url=https://kotaku.com/nathan-fillion-made-an-uncharted-fan-film-and-its-exce-1827624753 |access-date=July 16, 2018 |work=Kotaku.com |date=July 16, 2018}}
Stephen Lang as Victor Sullivan
Geno Segers as Diego
Mircea Monroe as Elena Fisher
Ernie Reyes Jr. as El Tigre

Production

Allan Ungar and Nathan Fillion were introduced to one another by a mutual friend in January 2018 after Ungar expressed interest in speaking to Fillion about the project, which was based on the Uncharted video game series developed by Naughty Dog.{{cite web |url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/andyneuenschwander/a-fan-actually-made-an-uncharted-film-with-natha |title=This Uncharted Fan Film Starring Nathan Fillion Is So Damn Good |first=Andy |last=Golder |date=July 17, 2018 |work=BuzzFeed |access-date=July 17, 2018}} Principal photography on the film began May 7 in Los Angeles, California and lasted for five days.{{cite news |last1=Lussier |first1=Germain |title= How Nathan Fillion's Uncharted Fan Film Came To Be |url=https://io9.gizmodo.com/how-nathan-fillions-uncharted-fan-film-came-to-be-1827661960 |access-date=July 19, 2018 |work=Gizmodo.com |date=July 18, 2018}} 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.{{cite web |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/nathan-fillion-is-open-more-uncharted-short-film-goes-viral-1127768 |title=Nathan Fillion is Open to More Uncharted After Project Goes Viral |first=Patrick |last=Shanley |date=July 17, 2018 |website=Hollywood Reporter}} Fillion trained for the role and also performed most of his own stunts.{{cite news |last1=Jennings |first1=Jackie |title=Nathan Fillion and Allan Ungar share the origin of their Uncharted fan film |url=https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/watch-sdcc-nathan-fillion-and-allan-ungar-share-the-origin-of-their-uncharted-fan-film |access-date=July 20, 2018 |work=Syfy |date=July 20, 2018 |archive-date=January 12, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200112041822/https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/watch-sdcc-nathan-fillion-and-allan-ungar-share-the-origin-of-their-uncharted-fan-film |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/nathan-fillion-uncharted/ |title=Nathan Fillion Talks His Uncharted Short Film and Clears Up a Pesky Rumor |first=Ben |last=Pearson |date=July 17, 2018 |website=/Film}} According to Fillion and Ungar, most of the crew did not know what they were working on until Fillion showed up in wardrobe because the production was set up under the fake title Breaking and Entering, which is a reference to a chapter in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.{{cite news |last1=Sapieha |first1=Chad |title=Seven Minutes with Nathan Fillion and Allan Ungar on their viral Uncharted Fan Film |url=https://business.financialpost.com/technology/gaming/seven-minutes-with-nathan-fillion-and-allan-ungar-on-their-viral-uncharted-fan-film |work=Financial Post |date=July 19, 2018 |access-date=July 19, 2018}}

Release

Fillion released the film through Twitter, Instagram and YouTube, after dropping some teases on his social media handles.{{cite news |last1=Hornshaw |first1=Phil |title=It Turns Out That 'Uncharted' Project Nathan Fillion Teased is a Fan Film |url=https://www.thewrap.com/nathan-fillion-uncharted-fan-film// |work=The Wrap |date=July 16, 2018}} It reached over 2 million views in its first two days.{{cite magazine |url=http://ew.com/movies/2018/07/17/uncharted-nathan-fillion-fan-film-allan-ungar/ |title=Nathan Fillion's Uncharted fan film could lead to something further |first=Nick |last=Romano |date=July 17, 2018 |magazine=Entertainment Weekly}} 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 the Uncharted Live Action Fan Film has been positive, with journalists, fans, and bloggers praising Fillion's performance as well as Ungar's direction.{{cite web |last1=Scott |first1=Ryan |title=Watch Nathan Fillion in Awesome Uncharted Fan-Made Short |url=https://movieweb.com/uncharted-short-film-video-nathan-fillion-nathan-drake/ |work=MovieWeb |access-date=July 16, 2018 |date=July 16, 2018}}{{cite web |last1=Libbey |first1=Dirk |title=Nathan Fillion Made An 'Uncharted' Fan Film, And It's Incredible |url=https://www.cinemablend.com/news/2450329/nathan-fillion-made-an-uncharted-fan-film-and-its-incredible |work=Cinema Blend |access-date=July 16, 2018 |date=July 16, 2018}}{{cite web |url=https://www.polygon.com/2018/7/16/17576398/uncharted-fan-film-nathan-fillion |title=Nathan Fillion Stars as Nathan Drake in Uncharted Fan Film |first=Michael |last=McWhertor |date=July 16, 2018 |website=Polygon.com}} 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.

Naughty Dog vice president Neil Druckmann and franchise creator Amy Hennig both shared their support on social media along with many other gaming creators.{{cite web |last1=Vejvoda |first1=Jim |title=Uncharted Fan Film Director and Nathan Fillion on Naughty Dog's Reaction |url=https://ca.ign.com/articles/2018/07/26/uncharted-fan-film-director-and-nathan-fillion-on-naughty-dogs-reaction-comic-con-2018 |work=IGN |access-date=July 26, 2018 |date=July 26, 2018}}