After making a name for himself with the breakout hit The Maze Runner, Wes Ball has been signed on to tackle the Norse epic Fall of Gods for 20th Century Fox.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Ball is set to direct the crowd-funded illustrated novel Fall of Gods as a massive fantasy epic. If nothing else, the concept art is stunning.

Along with Ball, Steve Tzirlin (Star Wars: The Clone Wars), Joe Hartwick Jr. and Brooklyn Weaver are also producing. The story is set in a fantasy realm with humans and a race called jotnar. The plot centers on a warrior named Vali. The original book’s concept designer Rasmus Berggreen is working with Hitman videogame writer Michael Vogt to develop the script.

Here’s the official plot synopsis for the book:

“For years he has lived far from society, tending to his farm and trying to forget the battles he fought…and the crimes he committed. But one day his love disappears, and he must set out to find her. He will once again have to face the creatures of Jotunheim and the powerful Aesir. Suddenly, the man he thought he had buried deep down inside has risen to the surface once more...and he comes seeking vengeance.”

As The Reporter notes, the move is obviously one part new fantasy project and one part ensuring Ball stays locked in at Fox. He turned the lowish-budget Maze Runner into a legitimate franchise (and made a darn good movie), and the studio wants to keep him around for a while. With Ball at the helm, we’re very interested to see what Fox puts together.

(Via The Hollywood Reporter)