Shadow of the Colossus - Josh Trank (Chronicle) directing

d31b0y · 24-05-2012 2:31pm #1

Just read about this. This film, if done correctly, has the possibility to be epic. The game was truly amazing and so far ahead of its time, it's mind boggling just thinking about it.

Unfortunately, it has the possibility to be a real stinky clanger if it's done badly. The thing about the game is that it really dragged you into that expansive, and lonely, world. Something I am not sure will be possible in film form. Here's hoping they don't ruin a bloody good game.

IMDB - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1414372/
Nice little write up about it - http://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/chronicle-director-preps-screen-adaptation-of-shadow-of-the-colossus-for-sony/

krudler · 24-05-2012 2:40pm

omgomgomgomg one of my favourite games ever, hope they dont fcuk it up, the game has barely any dialogue and only the colossi and the hero and his horse are the inhabitants of the world, if done right it could be amazing.

spankmaster2000 · 24-05-2012 3:07pm

d31b0y wrote: »

Unfortunately, it has the possibility to be a real stinky clanger if it's done badly. The thing about the game is that it really dragged you into that expansive, and lonely, world. Something I am not sure will be possible in film form. Here's hoping they don't ruin a bloody good game.

I agree here completely. There are many games that I think could be made into films with stories to rival any oscar-winning script if adapted correctly.

As for SotC though; I can't imagine any form of direct translation working on-screen. Whether it's the game fans, or people watching the film for the first time - someone's going to be disappointed.

Retr0gamer · 24-05-2012 4:16pm

It will more than likely end up cancelled and I kind of hope it does. The game only really works as a videogame and just wouldn't work as a film unless it was changed dramatically, where it would no longer be anything like the original game.

johnny_ultimate · 24-05-2012 6:01pm

This can die in a fire as far as I'm concerned.

Or more appropriately have a sword driven into its glowing blue weak point!

Cannot possibly imagine a film being able to capture the aura of mystery, discovery, sadness and isolation of the game.

krudler · 24-05-2012 6:51pm

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

This can die in a fire as far as I'm concerned.

Or more appropriately have a sword driven into its glowing blue weak point!

Cannot possibly imagine a film being able to capture the aura of mystery, discovery, sadness and isolation of the game.

wonder would it work as a cgi animated movie rather than live action one.

johnny_ultimate · 24-05-2012 7:06pm

krudler wrote: »

wonder would it work as a cgi animated movie rather than live action one.

It cannot, will not work, in a manner that in any way resembles the game. Without reimagining it as a more accessible or action-packed story, which loses the essence of what the game is actually about. And a lengthy series of 'boss battles' does not make an engaging 'passive' story - whereas the repetition is central to the theme and conceit of the game, it would be a structural mess in a film.

The only way it potentially could work would be as an almost silent arthouse film directed by Bela Tarr or someone. And I cannot imagine the studios giving that the thumbs up.

krudler · 24-05-2012 7:09pm

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

It cannot, will not work, in a manner that in any way resembles the game. Without reimagining it as a more accessible or action-packed story, which loses the essence of what the game is actually about. And a lengthy series of 'boss battles' does not make an engaging 'passive' story - whereas the repetition is central to the theme and conceit of the game, it would be a structural mess in a film.

The only way it potentially could work would be as an almost silent arthouse film directed by Bela Tarr or someone. And I cannot imagine the studios giving that the thumbs up.

thats true, they probably would add a comedy sidekick or make Agro talk or something

johnny_ultimate · 24-05-2012 7:13pm

krudler wrote: »

thats true, they probably would add a comedy sidekick or make Agro talk or something

That's the problem - the addition of a single talking character will ultimately undermine the loneliness that resonates in every second of SotC. I may remember incorrectly, but I'm not even sure Wander talks in the game (maybe at the end?). The only central 'voice' is a mysterious heavenly one. This is manageable in game form for a variety of reasons, but impossible to emulate in anything other than the most extreme experimental and arthouse cinema.

So, as you can tell, I certainly don't want this to get off the ground :pac:

krudler · 24-05-2012 7:51pm

johnny_ultimate wrote: »

That's the problem - the addition of a single talking character will ultimately undermine the loneliness that resonates in every second of SotC. I may remember incorrectly, but I'm not even sure Wander talks in the game (maybe at the end?). The only central 'voice' is a mysterious heavenly one. This is manageable in game form for a variety of reasons, but impossible to emulate in anything other than the most extreme experimental and arthouse cinema.

So, as you can tell, I certainly don't want this to get off the ground :pac:

he says "Agro" and has various groans of pain and the like but thats it, I dont think he talks at any stage

GarH · 24-05-2012 7:56pm

Needs Uwe Boll to do justice to this movie

.
.
.
.
.
Just kidding.

krudler wrote: »

wonder would it work as a cgi animated movie rather than live action one.

I think you're right there.
After the sh1t that is the Resident Evil movies, the cgi one is actually pretty good

CiDeRmAn · 24-05-2012 8:05pm

Making a film of this would be an insult to all, an insult to movie goers who will swear they'll never play the game and to gamers who will never trust a game inspired movie again.

What on earth are they thinking?

Just imagine, comedy sidekicks, a female associate who is full of wise cracks but with a dark past, a soundtrack by Danny Elfman, and worst of all....

IN 3D!!!

POST PRODUCTION 3D!!!!

Oh, the Humanity!!!

GarH · 24-05-2012 8:12pm

Not quite off topic, but would Ico make a better movie than SotC?

johnny_ultimate · 24-05-2012 8:18pm

No - Team Ico should just be left the **** alone to make some games

We've been waiting for too long for The Last Guardian

Although at least there is more traditional 'interaction' in Ico. I still wouldn't like to see a film of it, but it would make more sense. By sense I mean nonsense, but you know what I mean.

a5y · 24-05-2012 8:20pm

Just remember guys, Super Mario Bros was a good game too. However...

CiDeRmAn · 24-05-2012 9:03pm

GarH wrote: »

Not quite off topic, but would Ico make a better movie than SotC?

Steady on, or there'll be a visit from the lads and lassies in the Arcade & Retro forum, we'll kick your film lovin, hipster asses, except for Johnny Ultimate, I expect he'd be reluctant to turn on his peep's!

BlitzKrieg · 24-05-2012 10:14pm

It doesnt look likely to happen. The director is also doing the Fantastic four reboot so he'd likely find himself having that pushed as priority (esp. with recent avengers success)

But Josh Trank actually did a really good film with Chronicle, surprisingly engaging. If the budget isnt too huge and a decent writer comes on board they might make a good film.

But as an adaptation...hmm I can see how it could be done, but I highly doubt it'll be done that way. And it doesnt sound like Josh Trank will have the time or freedom to do much with it.

o1s1n · 24-05-2012 11:06pm

This is a very weird concept. I could understand if a film version was being made back when the game came out, running with some of the hype...but now? I don't get it.

The only people who would play this game anymore would be those who see what an important videogame it is - hardly the audience who are going to appreciate a videogame film adaptation?

BlitzKrieg · 24-05-2012 11:35pm

o1s1n wrote: »

This is a very weird concept. I could understand if a film version was being made back when the game came out, running with some of the hype...but now? I don't get it.

The only people who would play this game anymore would be those who see what an important videogame it is - hardly the audience who are going to appreciate a videogame film adaptation?

Well thats what has me slightly hopeful, while the article says he's prepping the film for sony they own the rights by default (sony game, sony film) so for all we know this could actually be a request by the director to develop a SOTC project and not a something pushed from the studio. It could very well be a low key, medium budget film that the Trank has much more creative control over.

Or it could be a throwaway development story requested by sony playstation devision to sony pictures to give playstation fans something to talk about when they know the last guardian is going to miss yet another E3 and they want to keep them interested.

GarH · 25-05-2012 12:41pm

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

Steady on, or there'll be a visit from the lads and lassies in the Arcade & Retro forum, we'll kick your film lovin, hipster asses, except for Johnny Ultimate, I expect he'd be reluctant to turn on his peep's!

LOL

I didn't mean that it should be turned into a movie, just that it could have story than a SotC movie. I think i got my grammar mixed up there.

constitutionus · 27-05-2012 10:43pm

mad one this.

on the one hand i LOVE the game. its an absoutlely amazing peice of work. on the other like certain novels and comics its damn near untranslatable to the movie storytelling format.

at least not without being boring as hell.

its is after all just a bloke on his horse murdering 15 monsters (IIRC

) .

dont get me wrong i dont think its impossible. i think you could actually manage something using a flashback device to build the world to the viewer while maintaining the
isolation and i suppose you could expand on the relationship with argo. i dont mean talking or anything, just make him a "character" ala some of those ol black and white serials from decades ago. a kind of a western type feel i guess

but i'd be more arthouse than mainstream and TBH i just dont see a studio throwing the money at it that would require.

its a pity as i reckon itd LOOK gorgeous and 3D could be amazing if theyre still pimping THAT.

it'd take some balls from the director/writer to do it justice

CiDeRmAn · 27-05-2012 11:22pm

"Movie inspired by Videogame" is the one thing lazy film reviewers say when they come across these films, same with comic book licences.
People reviewing films of Newstalk, Today FM or 2FM start to take the p1ss out the people who play the games in the first place, before heaping derision on the film itself.
Films like Avengers and Dark Knight have altered this for comic book adaptations but videogames have some way to go.
I wonder why adaptations of novels don't get the same lazy reviewing style, maybe they did once, though scifi still gets a rough ride from certain people who "allegedly" know movies.
I used to enjoy the "Movies and Booze" slot on Moncrieff but have come to realise that the reviewer there just won't give certain genres a shot.
It's folk like that who would kill SOTC or ICO before it got a chance.
Just look at the treatment John Carter got, I saw it, it was fun and everything it should have been, yet the reviews were such that I doubted some of them even bothered to watch the movie, instead just read someone elses review and regurgitated it, down to the same use of language.

So, maybe someday Ico and SOTC will make the big screen, but it might be in 20 years or so, maybe sooner as a animated feature.

Shadow of the Colossus - Josh Trank (Chronicle) directing

Comments