I Heart Huckabees director considered for Uncharted - Report

Given how liberally the Uncharted series draws inspiration from blockbuster films like Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark and The Mummy, one might expect the upcoming cinematic adaptation of the PlayStation 3 franchise to be overseen by a director well versed in action and adventure. However, the Uncharted film's producers are thinking a bit outside the box for Nathan Drake's cinematic debut, according to The Los Angeles Times.

The paper's "24 Frames" movie blog reported this week that Sony Pictures is moving ahead with plans for an Uncharted film, with producers considering a handful of directors, notably David O. Russell. While the director has won critical acclaim for a number of his films, they have dealt more with awkward people in uncomfortable situations than car chases and explosions.

His 1994 debut Spanking the Monkey was a black comedy about an incestuous relationship, while 2004's I Heart Huckabees was a philosophical comedy featuring an all-star cast portraying people in desperate search of themselves. There was a fair bit of action in Russell's Three Kings, in which a trio of American soldiers look to steal Iraqi gold in the aftermath of the Persian Gulf War, but the film was a far cry from the carefree tone of the Uncharted games. The Times report does stress that discussions on a director are early and producers are not close to making a deal with a specific director yet.

The paper also updates the latest writing pairing behind the film adaptation. Last summer, Hitman scribe Kyle Ward was reportedly tied to the project. However, The Times says Uncharted's movie adaptation is moving forward with a script by Thomas Dean Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer. To date, the pair have been behind a one-two punch of big-screen bombs: the treasure hunting action adventure Sahara and the abysmal Ray Bradbury adaptation A Sound of Thunder, both released in 2005.