'Shadow of the Colossus' film adaptation finds new director

Talk of a film based on the beloved PlayStation 2 game Shadow of the Colossus has existed since 2009, when the adaptation was first announced. Since then, the project has effectively stalled—but with Sony’s recent announcement of a new director, the film might finally become a reality.

Sony Pictures announced on Sept. 4 that Mama director Andrés Muschetti will direct the adaptation, which is being penned by Hanna scribe Seth Lochhead. Lochhead has been attached to the project since January 2013, when Josh Trank was set to the direct the film. Since then, Trank’s schedule quickly filled up with major franchise films like the Fantastic Four reboot and an untitled Star Wars spinoff project.

Shadow of the Colossus is a tough project to adapt, considering the game is about one man’s quest to save his love by destroying 16 colossi. The game has no other enemies other than these behemoths and few other characters, instead letting players roam its open landscapes in near-isolation. The protagonist, known as Wander, travels with his horse Agro to take down these giant creatures, but the quest comes burdened with a heavy price for the hero.

No release date or cast is set for the adaptation, but this announcement should give the project some much-needed momentum. But Muschetti can take solace that the creators of Colossus, Team Ico, have spent seven years working on their current project, The Last Guardian, without a firm release date in sight.