The film entered development in 2008 with producer Avi Arad stating that he would be working with Sony Pictures to develop a film adaptation of the video game franchise. It entered a complicated production process with various directors, screenwriters, and cast members attached at various points. Filmmakers David O. Russell, Neil Burger, Seth Gordon, Shawn Levy, Dan Trachtenberg, and Travis Knight were initially signed to direct while Wahlberg was set to play Drake in early development. Holland was cast as Drake in May 2017 and Fleischer was hired as the director in early 2020. Filming began in March 2020, but was halted by the COVID-19 pandemic. It resumed in July and finished in October, with locations including Boston, New York City, Barcelona and Indonesia.

Originally set to be released on December 18, 2020, the film faced major delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It eventually premiered at the Coliseum in Barcelona on February 7, 2022, and was theatrically released in the United States by Sony Pictures Releasing on February 18. The film received mixed reviews from critics, who found the film as a misleading adaptation of the video games and also underwhelming compared to other adventure films. The film has grossed $401.7 million worldwide, making it the fifth-highest-grossing video game film and…