Initially, it looked like Uncharted might be a box office disappointment for Sony Pictures. Instead, the big screen adaptation of Naughty Dog's hit video game franchise starring Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg exceeded expectations. With a $51 million debut in North America (initial predictions pointed to a $30 million opening over the four-day weekend) and a global total of $106.4 million, it's become apparent we'll likely be seeing more adventures with Nate and Sully down the line.
Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group Chairman and CEO Tom Rothman sent the following memo out to staff yesterday confirming as much by referring to Uncharted as "a new hit movie franchise."
He also points out that Uncharted has a 90% Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes, a far cry from the 40% verdict given to it by critics. Moviegoers clearly had a lot of fun with this one, though we also praised the blockbuster, awarding it 4* in our recent ComicBookMovie.com review.
Dear Colleagues,
It is Presidents Day in America, but we are open in most places around the world today and we have another global triumph to celebrate.
With over $100M in box office worldwide in just one weekend, and a 90% positive audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, Uncharted is a new hit movie franchise for the company.
This marks a great victory for every single division of the company, as the film was our first major production entirely shut down by the advent of Covid, yet we persevered to complete a picture the audience loves and marketed and distributed it with strategic verve worldwide, despite the pandemic.
The ensuing impact is proof once again of the unmatched cultural power of real movies. On the heels of Venom: Let There Be Carnage, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, and Spider-Man: No Way Home, Uncharted is yet another blow to the theatrical naysayers and further proof of the efficacy of our model.
I want to thank all of the filmmakers, the wonderful cast and crew, and especially our friends at PlayStation Studios and Sony Interactive Entertainment for their support. And of course, I want to thank each and every one of you for your creativity, dedication and belief.
Excelsior!
Tom