In a recent interview, Uncharted movie director Ruben Fleischer revealed he is working with PlayStation on a Jak and Daxter movie adaptation. While neither Fleischer nor Sony has confirmed the movie’s production, Fleischer does reveal that he’s currently in discussion with Sony. Great news for fans of video game movie adaptations and, more specifically, popular actor and Jak and Daxter fan Tom Holland.
A Jak and Daxter movie receives tons of fan support
Earlier this week, actor Tom Holland also expressed interest in a Jak and Daxter film adaptation. While it seemed a bit out of the blue, it’s not odd considering Holland himself stars in another video game movie adaptation as Uncharted’s Nathan Drake. Holland stated that he hoped to see a dark, “really weird live-action version” of the video game franchise, similar to those produced under the A24 indie label. For reference, A24 has produced a few popular films in recent years, including Midsommar and Uncut Gems.
Speaking with Digital Trends, Ruben Fleischer revealed that he would continue to work with PlayStation on another classic video game movie adaptation. This time, it was “a version” of Jak and Daxter, which Fleischer commented “would be really cool to bring to life”. However, Fleischer has not commented on whether the movie would be live-action, or CGI animated like the 2016 Ratchet & Clank movie.
Interestingly, that same animated film eventually led to a series reboot that gave us Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. In the same way, a Jak and Daxter movie adaptation could pave the way for future remasters or even a reboot of its own. Naughty Dog seems on board with the idea, as co-president Evan Wells also stated last year that they would like to make another Jak and Daxter game at some point.
Opinion: I’ll take a live-action adaptation if it means more Jak and Daxter
Andrew writes… A live-action adaptation of Jak and Daxter could work, but could also stray into the uncanny valley. Unlike the Uncharted series, many of its characters are stylized in a way that would make it hard for a live-action movie to be faithful. The best bet would be a mixture of both, similar to the recent Sonic the Hedgehog movies. But if it means I get to play more —or dare I say, new — Jak and Daxter games, the movie could be made in Microsoft Powerpoint for all I care.
In other news, Sony AI unveiled Gran Turismo Sophy, an AI driver that is reportedly capable of beating the best Gran Turismo players. A PS5 version of Apex Legends has also appeared on the Taiwanese and European video game rating boards.
