Shadow of the Colossus Film Writer Talks Adaptation

Justin Marks, the writer developing the film adaptation of Team Ico's Shadow of the Colossus, recently discussed the process of tackling the project in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter blog Risky Biz.

"With a lot of games there are so many elements in the universe you spend your time tearing down and tearing down," said Marks. "What's nice about this game is that it's so sparse so you can start building right away."

Marks, best known for writing Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li, feels that the reason many game-to-movie adaptations have failed is that "very few [games] lend themselves to movies."

"If we started thinking that anything that worked in one medium shouldn't be adapted for another we wouldn't have a lot of the great movies we've had, because so many of them came from novels," he added.

Regarding Colossus, Marks said that the game's minimalist, adult-oriented atmosphere will better lend it to adaptation for a wide audience, and pledged to avoid adding a cheesy sidekick and other Hollywood cliches.

"With a lot of games you're caught trying to please the fans and the mainstream audience," he said. "What's so nice about this game is that it's all seen through such an adult lens, so that what pleases the fans also pleases a wider audience."

Added Marks: "This is a game that catches you unaware--it catches you on an emotional and experiential level, not just for the puzzles you solve."