While PlayStation Productions head Asad Qizilbash had previously spoken about the adaptation of Horizon Zero Dawn being changed from a movie to a TV show, it looks like the company has gone back on this decision. As caught by The Game Post, Qizilbash mentioned the Horizon adaptation as part of a sworn declaration that was filed as part of Sony’s lawsuit against Tencent for Light of Motiram.
In his statement, Qizilbash noted that a working script has already been prepared, and that the production crew is currently looking for a director to head the project up. Along with this, he also confirmed that Sony wants the filming for the project to begin in 2026, and is eyeing a 2027 release.
“We are in development for a film based on Horizon in partnership with Columbia Pictures,” said Qizilbash. “We already have a working script and are actively searching for a director, with the goal of shooting the picture in 2026 and releasing it in 2027. The live-action film follows the recent collaborations between Columbia Pictures and PlayStation Productions on the 2022 film Uncharted and the 2023 film Gran Turismo.”
Qizilbash’s statement came as part of Sony establishing the importance of the Horizon IP, and especially its protagonist Aloy, as an important part of the PlayStation brand. In his statement, Qizilbash also referred to Aloy as a “key icon in the anticipated film,” and also called her important “to the flywheel of franchise building.”
It is worth noting that Qizilbash had said back in April that the Horizon adaptation was being turned into a TV show. In an interview, he spoke about wanting to ensure that the adaptation was done right, which in turn would bring in a greater audience to the project.
“I think what people have seen in Hollywood is that video game adaptations, if done right, can actually be very popular, and they scale really well,” said Qizilbash. “That’s been a big sea change that I’ve seen in the last five, six years, since we’ve really started to come and deliver some great content.” This, he noted, tied into his desire to turn the project into a TV show rather than a movie because “it just wasn’t creatively going how we wanted to.”
Sony had first announced that work on the Horizon adaptation had started back in January during CES 2025. At the time, few details had been confirmed about the project, however, aside from the fact that it would involve a collaboration between PlayStation Productions and Columbia Pictures. For context, Columbia Pictures had previously worked with Sony on the Uncharted movie adaptation as well.
In the meantime, PlayStation Productions is also working on a reboot of the Resident Evil movie franchise alongside rights-owner Constantin Film. The project is being co-written by Shay Hatten of Army of the Dead and John Wick: Chapter 4 fame, and Zach Cregger of Barbarian fame. Cregger is also working as the director on the project, with production duties up for grabs in a bidding war between big companies like Netflix and Warner Bros.
