Sony’s PlayStation 2-era fantasy adventure game Shadow of the Colossus was a critical and commercial success, and continues to be cited as a prime example of the artistic potential in video games. Whether the big-screen adaptation of the game will receive as much acclaim is uncertain, but the film now has a director with quite a bit of potential attached.
Sony Pictures has announced that Mama director Andres Muschietti will be behind the camera for the Shadow of the Colossus movie, which will be based on a script by Hanna screenwriter Seth Lochhead. His directorial debut, Muschietti’s 2013 horror flick Mama was a modest success, earning critical praise for the Argentine director’s blend of spooky atmospheric elements and creature effects to bring the story of a family haunted by a child’s mysterious guardian to life on the screen.
“We knew we had our director once we heard Andy’s take on the material – it was genius,” said Michael De Luca, President of Production for Sony Pictures, in a statement accompanying the announcement. “The themes, characters, and supernatural elements of the story have incredible international appeal with fans of the game in the millions.”
Released in October 2005, Shadow of the Colossus followed a young man’s quest to restore a girl’s life by defeating the 16 massive creatures that inhabit a mysterious land. Unlike many games, Shadow of the Colossus didn’t have any cities to explore or random enemies to fight, only a vast expanse of land populated by the giant “colossi” that must be defeated. The game required players to figure out a way to defeat each creature using nothing more than the equipment the character had on hand.
The game was directed by Japanese developer Fumito Ueda, and Shaadow of the Colossus went on to be named “Best Game” at the 6th Annual Game Developer’s Choice Awards in 2006 and sell over 2.7 million copies worldwide.
There’s currently no release date set for the Shadow of the Colossus movie.
