You just have to love when things play out like this.

Earlier this month, it was reported that David O. Russell would be writing and directing the latest attempt to adapt Sony Computer Entertainment and Naughty Dog video game Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune into a movie. This was exciting news for fans of the game who see how much potential there is for a great movie franchise, but who could play Nathan Drake?

As is, Drake is already a well-rounded and likable character, and all that’s needed is an actor who would be best fitted to bring him to life. At the end of our initial story, I made it pretty clear that they should just cast Firefly and Castle star Nathan Fillion immediately. This was all wishful thinking and came with little expectations of Fillion becoming a possibility, but apparently I am not alone in seeing how ridiculously perfect the actor is for the part.

Just recently it was reported that star Natalie Portman and director David O. Russell were stepping away from the adaptation of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, and it didn’t take Russell long to jump on board with another movie.

Sony Pictures has officially announced that Russell will be writing and directing the video game adaptation of the very popular Sony Computer Entertainment and developer Naughty Dog title, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune. The project was first announced back in June of 2009, but hasn’t had the best luck with bringing everything together.

As any video game player knows, the Sony Playstation 3 exclusive title Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune is one of the more popular titles to be released in the past few years, and that popularity has seemingly doubled with the recent release of the mega-hit sequel Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. As we all fully expected, it was announced back in June that a movie adaptation was in the works, and that Kyle Ward had been tapped to pen the screenplay (Read: Kyle Ward Snags Another Gig; Tapped To Write “˜Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune’ Adaptation). Now comes word that this initial set-up did not work out so well and a brand new plan is in motion.

Latino Review has it on good authority that Mr. Ward is contractually obligated to write the script for another video game adaptation in Hitman 2, and that it would be at least a year before he could get to Uncharted. Instead of waiting for this — a project that they’re itching to get moving immediately — Sony has instead gone out and hired Thomas Dean Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer to write the script.

Kyle Ward, who wrote the script for the Kane & Lynch movie, and was just reported to be writing the sequel to Hitman, has now been given a third video game movie writing job: Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune.

The popular Playstation 3 game from Sony Computer Entertainment is being developed into a movie by Columbia Pictures, with Marvel Studios founder Avi Arad and his brother Ari Arad‘s Arad Productions producing the movie. Also producing will be Charles Roven and Alex Gartner of Atlas Entertainment.

Drake’s Fortune tells the story of Nathan Drake, an adventurer and descendant of actual explorer Sir Francis Drake, who discovers a diary by his late ancestor that leads the way to the fabled city of gold: El Dorado. As usual, when trying to discover some of the universe’s greatest treasures, things don’t go so well; between rival seekers of the gold city and mutated descendants of Spaniards and Nazis trying to stop him, Nathan Drake is obviously in for a challenge and a kick-ass adventure.