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Sony's Shadow of the Colossus Headed to the Big Screen

by Alex Billington
April 7, 2009

One of the most cinematic games is now making it way towards cinemas. The Shadow of the Colossus video game is being developed by producer Kevin Misher (Fighting, Public Enemies, Case 39) at Columbia Pictures. Hollywood's new favorite fanboy writer, Justin Marks of Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li, Voltron, and Masters of the Universe, has been hired to write the screenplay. The game, which first hit shelves in 2005, follows a character known as Wander, who along with his horse Agro, travels across a western-style landscape to defeat enemies known as Collosi, while Wander tries to save the girl Mono.

This isn't the first time the game has been seen in the movies - it was featured in Reign Over Me, although those scenes just had Adam Sandler playing the game. Shadow of the Colossus was not only a big hit in sales, but also a big hit with critics, and a few years ago was widely heralded as one of the best games of the year. Although I know its got the makings of a good movie, I'm concerned that Justin Marks will come up with something a little too cheesy, a little too Hollywood, especially considering Street Fighter wasn't that great. Hopefully they find a good director who will make sure this stays as true to the game as possible.

Explore tags: Movie News, Opinions

Efrain

im instantly excited for this. just imagining how the landscapes and colosi can look is wat got me excited.
sumonesumtime

This is one of the best and most cinematic games of all time!!!!
squadass99

i am excited about this but i would rather this be an 3D animated movie like the final fantasy movies rather than it be a live action movie. i dont know about you guys but live action movies based on video games are doomed to fail E.G doom and mario movies.
movieboy1

god damn it Justin Marks again get rid of him he tried to hype up Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li but that turn out rubbish got no faith on Justin Marks
Xerxex

I wanna see a film about the game but it needs a stronger director or this guy needs to really go above and beyond with the concept! But he probably won't and the production company will dish out a shitty movie.
moviekidmike

Dont you ever learn. This will be an epic fail
Bo

arguably the best game of all time, this movie needs a high budget to be even fairly good!
http://shirtonme.spreadshirt.com Dresden

I am not satisfied with the director or writer. They are horrible selections. I have thought this would be an incredible movie for a long time. But either they'll give it an unnecessary back story, or it will be incredibly repetitive. There should not be a lot of talking, and the talking that there is should be done in the language created by the maker of the games (referring to both Ico and SotC) I want this movie to rule and win and be an incredibly epic cinematic masterpiece. But the studios NEED to pick better people. People with talent, perhaps? This game had me CRYING and jumping and thinking whilst simultaneously having a blast and traveling the landscapes. I've played this game so often that I changed it up and decided to walk to all of the Colosi, just to soak in the landscapes better. This could be a great movie, but it needs the right people.
Luckett

No. NO NO NO. NO! This is the worst news. The worst news yet on all of the internet. This has to be stopped. Someone has to fire a right load of missiles at wherever this is happening to stop it. Quickly!
http://4chan.org auouywonz

fucking christ. Way to rape a passed out chick. It is what it is, why bastardize it into any other medium? now it's going to look like your run of the mill video game blockbuster. Stupid, uninteresting and milked for money. That game was precious. it was video game literature. Now it's a joke.
squadass99

plz say this is a retards late april fools joke... plz plz plz plz... oh its not is it SOTC IS DOOMED fOR ALL ETERNITY IF THIS ACTUALLY HAPPENS!!!!!! lets hope ueada puts a stop to this now!!
Ken

Alex, FYI there is no sequal to the game that is a fake picture that you linked to.
SlashBeast

Video game movies have a history of failure and most people are still waiting for that one adaption that will break the trend. Shadow of the Collosus is an amazingly epic game and is not at all difficult to translate onto the big screem, I'm really hoping this turns out well.
http://www.firstshowing.net Alex Billington

Thanks #14, I pulled the reference, it seemed a bit hokey anyway...
L

#8 is right on the money. This IS one of the best games ever made. I dont think it will survive live action though. It has to be all CGI. Even at that, no crappy noodle arming or anything. I want big budget
Nick S.

....omg PLEASE dont f*ck this up. this game was so beautiful and the story so pure, simple and most importantly vague and open ended. there are just so many ways this could go wrong and to be quite honest i have no faith in this "Justin Marks" person. Street Fighter looks like absolute garbage.
nelson

i don't know if any game can break the mold max payne was the one i had faith in the most and somehow they fucked that up LOL Bioshock and Prince Of Persia seem like only ones that got a chance
squadass99

please learn from example. the last big budget video game movie "the halo movie" had a huge budget that they couldnt keep up with it and stop production all together. halo was meant to be live action. learn from this make it an excellent movie and MAKE IT CGI!!!!!
Nooooo

This is an awful pick for writer! They need someone waaaay better, such as Tarsem Singh ... breathtaking visuals but with real depth in the script and acting!
Kail

Fucking Street Fighter sucked a LOT worse than the original, I watched both films within the same week and honestly, the first Street Fighter was a LOT more entertaining and watchable than Chun-Li was, fucking Chun-Li was the blandest, most boring action movie I've ever seen. This guy sucks and should die.
Waffled

NOOOOOOOOOOOO! Guillermo Del Toro needs to do this. not two assheads.
Joseph S.

I loved the game. i agree with #21 that they need another writer though.
Fisherr

That's great i hope they pull off a good actor that makes a great movie.
RC

This could be a fantastic movie, but it needs to be done right. That's easier said than done.
Elmo

I'm sooo with Waffled- Del Toro making the best video game ever into another awsome movie.. I would explode!! and they need another writer too.. but I'm still excited =)
Waffled

I'm surprised Sony pictures isn't doing this, why columbia? I pray that's a sign that this is fake news.
Fearl3ss

All agreed with you ppl, this is all bollocks. Let the masters deal with this epic, eg the actual developers, Japanese style. Forget Hollywood. They will never do justice to any jap game!!
Thor

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! That Writer is gonna put the game to shame!!!!! Hollywood Stop your madness!!!!!!!
Nick S.

to quote number 22 "NOOOOOOOOOOOO! Guillermo Del Toro needs to do this. not two assheads"
B. Hemoth

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO WHY GOD WHY There is no way this is going to end with anything but an awful abortion of a film that in no way resembles the original game.
Platypus Lord

Terrible idea. I won't cry about it though, SotC will still be SotC.
Fuelbot

Alex, even Justin Marks said the director kind of took over and turned that move into shit. I've read his Voltron draft and think it's anything but "safe" or "Hollywood". I think this is the perfect story for Marks to write. I think he just needs a director who takes his ideas seriously. Come on -- ANY movie would've sucked with the director of Romeo Must Die at the helm.
TeRRoRoFdEaTh

Sounds good to me. but thats exactly what i thought when i heard a Dragonball movie was coming up. So i've got my hopes up, hopes it doesn't disapoint like Dragonball Evolution did. Thumbs up from me.
http://youtube.com/snears Nick Sears

Holy Balls, that's gonna be crazy! It just needs a GOOD PLOT. I don't want this great game to get a lame movie attached to it. The cinematographer has its work cut out already for them. Sounds like a job for Weta.
Nikhil Hariharan

One of the best games i have ever played and one of the best cinematic games of all time. I think ill go and replay the game now..... either way i cant wait!
http://the-greater-truth.blogspot.com Homero

If Spike Jonze, Tarsem and/or David Fincher were to make this movie, it would sweep every award possible and be heralded as one of the greatest films of all time, I'm sure of it...then I saw the screenwriter, who's never done anything above mediocre. I mean, would you really want to even admit that you worked on Chun-Li? Jesus... Maybe Pixar could come to terms that no one really wants to see a sequel to Cars and make this instead...now THAT would be the animated film to end all.
Tristan

This is fucked up.
Brynn

This isn't the Scorpion King we're dealing with here. You can't stick the Rock in Shadow of the Colossus and expect that to make it good. Get a better staff on this, and I'll have faith. If this turns into another failure before it's even started (Dragon Ball Z), then I have every reason to skin myself.
Carrera

This movie won't do the game justice. Remember the scene at the end where you try to reach Mono while knowing the game won't let you? Knowing that I tried but failed...I doubt a movie could give me the same feeling.
Sumit

@ 27 Columbia is the main studio for Sony Pictures so it is being made by SP. I think the idea of Tarsem Singh directing is inspired after seeing the Fall. As for Justin Marks , Streetfighter does look like utter garbage but as someone pointed out Andrej Bartowiak turns everything to shit and all the reviews I've read for Marks' Voltron, He Man & Supermax Green Arrow scripts suggest he is a pretty good writer - fingers crossed that if this gets made its made well and along with Verbinski's Bioshock and Bruckheimer's Prince Of Perisa breaks the game to film curse.
http://www.10tu.com/forums dRailer

Game developers can do subtle things in an interactive experience that don't fit nicely into a movie formula.
commonsense

OH NO NO NO NO NOT HIM THIS MOVIE WILL FAIL HARD WIT JUSTIN, HE IS AN IDIOT, PLEASE USE CAMERON OR SOMEONE EPIC NOT THAT IDIOT
cusman

The only viable director who can make a movie on this game would have to be people that are able to make movies without much dialogue or characters and still have a significant and engaging movie. Also the special effects and collosi stuff in the movie would have to be artistic and awesome like in the game.
SotC Fan

Horrible news. It will do the beautiful game that is SotC no justice what so ever, and will simply suck in the process. My opinion, anyway. I hope I'm slightly wrong.
http://zero0v.topcities.com psrpgs

hopefully Justin learned about some mis-takes. i wish you all have some pation and the makes with create it with pation.
http://rtgmediaphiles.blogspot.com Dan W

Could be an amazing movie or a horrible crap fest like street fighter
Turbogfx

This game holds a special place in my heart. I feel like I lreally lived this game.. I probably will not go see the movie unless it gets really good reviews from all the fans. At least, I hope they will use the original soundtrack score from the game by Koh Ohtani. My god, wasn't that the most exciting music you had ever heard in a video game?
Sandi W.

When I first got this game, I had never experienced anything like it. I recall the time the very first time I fought the first colossus. My friends and I were all gathered in one room, screaming and yelling at the top of our lungs!! The feelings you get in this game and the story are both amazing and sometimes even over powering. I mean it was used to explain some of the inner workings of the main character in reign over me, and well.. I feel bad saying this but I think the concept and the depth you feel from this game are something too deep for this writer to understand, yet alone write into a well composed movie script. I played that game straight through when I first got it, lost a day but gained an adventure. I hope that they realize how stupid they're being.. I mean the story of SOTC doesn't have to much story to be made into a movie. I mean dialogue is already a thing to question.. but how are they going to have him fight all the colossus? and then even decide which is worth fighting? I hope they keep the ancient language in the movie, and keep the wording correct when they actually speak. Hopefully no lame one liners. I mean when you watch the opening of the game and you hear him speak to Doromin, Wander's personality was shown in how he spoke, especially when he said in response to Doromin's "You're path will be hard and you could possibly face death" or soemthing like that I just remember Wanderer saying to that, "It doesn't matter." This is such a romantic and breathtaking game, and if they could even capture half of this with the writer they chose I'll give them MAJOR props. Shadow of the Colossus: the Movie. Please, do what you did for us in the gaming world inside the movie business, and take our breaths away!
Amanda

Oh Sony I hope you read this. What you are doing has FAIL written all over it. Don't ruin something that is so awesome with a movie written by a person who, really, can't write. Please?
SunnyVI

He better do a freakin' good job, or about 5 million people will hunt him down.
James

First, those of you complaining about the director should re-read the entire article. There is no director yet. But, I am totally in agreement. Everyone of us that played that game should be excited as hell to see this, but at the same time, scared to death that Mr. Chun-Li doesn't bury SoTC 6 ft. under. It would be nice if the story perhaps covers some of SoTC, but also bridges the timeline to Ico.
Aaron

Honestly, I don't even see how this game could be a movie. This IS the best action adventure game ever made. It is a GAME and can only truly be experienced as intended through individual interaction. The player becomes wanderer... you don't ever really see him interact with anything but Agro and the Colossi, which you have total control over those interactions. You travel the lands and take these mammoths down all alone, you forget that it a game at times due to the level of immersion and solitude. You only watch him from a spectators view for brief moments after you silence a colossus and are knocked out. This is a masterpiece of Art. Translating it to a movie is like taking the Mona Lisa and trying to make a movie out of her. It simply doesn't work. I am extremely appalled by this idea and will riot if I must. I am really hoping the people who hold the rights to this majestic masterpiece do not allow it to be reduced to hollywood garbage. I can only sit with my fingers crossed... and hope I don't have to use the gun on someone.
http://www.youtube.com/user/Quadraxis14 Quadraxis14

Oh boy... Team Ico's works are just about my favorite games of all time, and personally, I'm hesitant about a movie. From what I'm hearing, this is just one of the directors who make below average movies out of video games. Now I'm not calling him an Uwe Boll, but fucking up a movie based on anything by Team Ico will be a huge kick in the balls to all fans of their stuff, myself verily included. An idea though, while SotC has a very effective story, it takes a very less-is-more route in its storytelling style. In this respect, the art direction could soar if done right, but it'll be VERY easy for a director like the current one to try too hard to integrate his own story, thinking it's an improvement. If this were a movie with very little to no speaking, I wouldn't mind. Another commenter even mentioned using the language used in the games with subtitles, which I would love. I'd also like to mention that Ico connects quite well to SotC, it deserves a film adaption just as much as SotC in my opinion. There is a lot of content to go through with the sixteen colossi alone though. A movie based on Team Ico's stuff intrigues me immensely, but I don't know if their games will fit the media of a 2 hour film. A short series? Perhaps, but you can't fit this stuff into a 2 hour viewing experience, and I really don't want to just see a 10 minute montage of fighting half of the colossi due to time restraints. That would be a huge disappointment.
Jane

... man they're so going to screw this up. most characters in the game don't speak. period. even if they do, it's not in english. hope they can capture the game's essence, which most game-to-movie films FAILED to do. GAWD! THE HORROR!
kyle

this game was shit
muzy95

They really shouldn't make a movie of this game. The reason why the game was so intense, was that you lost - as a player! I have seen many films with a bad ending, but never a game! And the fact that you were playing the game, controlling the character and yet wasn't controlling the story, made the game so unique. a movie would totally destroy it.