A project that has lingered in development hell for years may finally be coming to fruition. Deadline reports that Mike Newell has been set to direct an adaptation of the classic John Wyndham sci-fi book The Day of the Triffids for Ghost House Pictures. The post-apocalyptic tale takes place on an Earth in which many of its inhabitants have been blinded by a comet shower. Those that can see are forced to battle against alien plants known as triffids who are bent on destroying mankind. Ghost House tried to get the film off the ground nearly four years ago with Sam Raimi attached to direct, but that clearly didn’t happen. The book has been adapted a number of times before, including as a feature film in 1962 and a miniseries in 2009.

Though Newell was best known for character-centric dramas like Four Weddings and a Funeral and Donnie Brasco, he’s delved into large-scale fare as of late. He directed Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Prince of Persia, so he definitely has experience with the fantastical.