After more than five years in development, many fans hoped the video game adaptation Uncharted was on the right track, with Oscar-winning writer Mark Boal (The Hurt Locker) coming aboard to pen the script late last year. Unfortunately, the project has hit yet another speed bump, with Heroic Hollywood reporting that director Seth Gordon is backing out the project, after signing on in February 2014. The report reveals that Sony's new studio head Tom Rothman asked the filmmaker to deliver this adaptation on a smaller budget, reportedly causing him to walk. The Wrap reports that Tom Rothman wanted to take the movie in a new creative direction, which is what caused the departure, which could mean that the studio is seeking another writer.

Regardless of how it happened, Uncharted is still without a director, and a star, after Chris Pratt passed on the project in November. We also reported in December that the studio was once again eyeing Mark Wahlberg, who was once set to star as Nathan Drake nearly five years ago, when David O. Russell was attached to direct. The project is based on the long-running video game series of the same name, following Nathan Drake, a descendant of Sir Francis Drake, who goes on a quest to find the lost city of El Dorado. Along the way, he runs into a rival treasure hunter, who must team up to fend off creatures, mutated Spaniards and Nazis.

Sony is reportedly eyeing a major star for the franchise, which they see as their equivalent to the Indiana Jones franchise. Charles Roven, Avi Arad and Ari Arad are producing. David O. Russell and Neil Burger were both previously attached to direct before Seth Gordon signed on. But now the hunt for a new director is back on. Sony set a July 10, 2016 release date last year, but it seems likely that it may be pushed yet again, unless the studio can find a new director quickly.