Speaking to The Los Angeles Times, sci-fi author Orson Scott Card revealed that Wolfgang Petersen is no longer attached to direct the big-screen adaptation of the author’s sci-fi novel classic Ender’s Game.

Card disclosed that he did not feel comfortable with the movie’s direction and the project was scrapped early in November. The book has proven to be difficult to translate to the silver screen, having been stuck in production hell for over two decades.

The author says he was not interested in a “tough hero action film” and that he refuses to condescend to green-screen techniques.