The Uncharted movie finally escaped development hell and has the rare distinction of being remembered as the first project from PlayStation Productions. The film has undergone a handful of changes from scripts, directors, and even actors until Sony decided to bet all its chips on Tom Holland, hoping his star power from his ventures in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Spider-Man would convince audiences to see the film.
While the final product wasn’t perfect, it was serviceable and got the job done. The filmmakers knew that hardcore fans would always be on the fence due to inaccuracies in the source material; however, the producers slipped in a few good easter eggs for eagle-eyed fans to spot.
10. Jordan A. Mun in Uncharted (2022)

Naughty Dog took the opportunity to reveal its latest project during Geoff Keighley’s The Game Awards and revealed Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. It is always exciting to learn a new Naughty Dog is in the works; however, those who have seen the Uncharted film will likely notice a familiar face in the captain’s seat.
Tati Gabrielle is the star of the next major IP after a memorable performance as Jo Braddock in the Uncharted film. Before Gabrielle makes her video game debut, she will first appear in the second season of HBO’s The Last of Us as Nora. The line between video games and Hollywood blockbusters is blurring even further, and this is an easter egg two years in the making.
9. Pirate Ships (Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End)

There is no denying that the live-action film took plenty of inspiration from the last entry in Nathan Drake’s run as the face of the franchise. Game Director Neil Druckmann and Bruce Straley kicked it up a notch in A Thief’s End with a much more grounded and personal story and threw in a little pirate history. During the film’s climax, Nate and Sully are fighting mercenaries to take control of pirate ships full of treasure.
While it is difficult to replicate the action achieved in the games, director Ruben Fleischer managed and Tom Holland did his best to showcase Nate’s agility and strength through hand-to-hand combat and climbing. Perhaps the sequel will feature Holland’s Nate in an action-packed scene to capture the essence of the source material’s run-and-gun routine.
8. The Cargo Plane sequence (Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception)

Despite not being made entirely by Naughty Dog, the game developers were involved during filming and they likely felt some pride after seeing the cargo sequence opening the film. In Drake’s Deception, Drake had to stow away on a cargo plane to reach Sully; however, the plan goes south after he was spotted leading to another insane combat encounter that ended with a fiery landing on the Rub’ al Khali desert.
In the film’s introduction, Nate is passed out and surprised to see his feet caught on the net of some cargo dangling outside the plane. After jumping from one container to another, Nate successfully got on board until Chloe rammed him with a neat sportscar as he regaled the audience with his iconic catchphrase.
7. “Ah crap”

Throughout Nate’s career as a thief to a treasure hunter, there are moments where his luck doesn’t pan out. When all else fails, the young Drake could do nothing but accept the incoming sportscar coming his way to push him out of a cargo plane thousands of feet in the air.
Nate often repeats this catchphrase throughout the Uncharted series and it wouldn’t be a faithful adaptation if he didn’t say it in the film.
6. Sam’s Lighter (Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End)

The gaming community was surprised to meet Sam Drake, Nathan’s older brother, in A Thief’s End, especially in the final chapter. Unlike his younger brother, Sam spent most of his years locked behind a cell smoking cigarettes while Nathan made a few archeological discoveries. Throughout their search for Henry Avery’s treasure, there are a rare few moments when Sam can be seen without a cigarette and lighter in hand.
The filmmakers decided to include this as a little Easter egg with a few moments to shine like lighting letters to reveal hidden clues and a few moments where it couldn’t do its job. The Uncharted movie is not the only PlayStation Productions project in which the lighter appeared since it was essential in Tess’ heroic sacrifice in season one of The Last of Us.
5. Well, well, well (Uncharted 3 and 4)

While searching for the treasure in Barcelona, Chloe and Nate ventured deep into the city’s water system in search of clues to Magellan’s treasure. The filmmakers saw the opportunity to insert a cheesy, but timely joke used in Drake’s Deception and A Thief’s End. This joke could have easily flown over the heads of the average audience member; however, hardcore fans of the game will likely catch the callback.
4. The Heist and Cross (Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End)

After Sam drags Nate out of retirement and back in the game, the Drake brothers travel to Italy to acquire another cross that could hold the next clue to Avery’s treasure. While the brothers had to hop and scale off a few walls to get inside, Sully slipped in without any fuss thanks to his charm. The trio quickly planned to grab the cross from the auction despite the odds of failure but their luck held out.
In the film, Sully informs Nate of the Magellan’s golden cross being auctioned off, and their competitor, Santiago Moncada, is hot on its heels. Nate followed a similar course to his video game counterpart where he tried to cut the power to buy themselves a few seconds of darkness until it went south and he had to improvise by swinging off chandeliers.
3. A Familiar Look and Premise (Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune and Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception)

One of the few things the gaming community disliked about the live-action adaptation is the inaccurate depictions of fan-favorite characters. Throughout the film, Wahlberg’s Sully doesn’t sport his iconic mustache until the end credits scene. Holland’s Drake is much more understandable given that Fleischer wanted to introduce a younger version that isn’t accustomed to combat that fans are used to. The third act featured Nate’s iconic holster and it was the first time he was seen firing at enemy assailants paired with his theme.
After failing to secure Magellan’s treasure, Nate and Sully saw other opportunities that tied into Drake’s Fortune, the first Uncharted game suggesting the sequel could potentially adapt the story. Both characters are seen wearing nearly identical attire to their younger versions in Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, which was a treat for hardcore fans.
2. Nathan Drake meets Nathan Drake

Voice actors usually fail to get the recognition they deserve, especially in live-action adaptations. Unlike Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson who both have substantial roles in HBO’s The Last of Us, Nolan North makes a brief cameo in the film and comments about Nate and Chloe’s story of falling off a cargo plane. North appeared as a tourist on a local beach and said something similar happened to him once.
1. Sir Francis Drake’s Ring

Throughout the first three games, Nate can be seen wearing an old ring around his neck claiming it belonged to his ancestor, Sir Francis Drake. The truth behind Nate’s family was revealed in Drake’s Deception and A Thief’s End and the young treasure hunter and his brother gave themselves new identities. Nate kept clinging to the ring to help calm his nerves and anxieties of not amounting to anything until he let it all go and realized he had nothing to prove and that he already achieved greatness through his discoveries and friendships.
In the film, Sam passes it to his brother after leaving him in the orphanage. While the ring didn’t have any significance in the Uncharted movie, it is a great little easter egg to pay homage to the source material.
For more Thumb Wars Gaming and Film coverage, check out our explainer for the Uncharted timeline, or Harrison Ford’s explanation for joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Rouvin Josef Quirimit is a Content Writer, an avid gamer (on his PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch), and film enthusiast. He was fortunate to grow up with the Marvel Cinematic Universe and was enamored by the storytelling of a shared universe full of heart and spectacle. His love for movies led him to great single-player games and he intends to cover major franchises for years to come!