Sony Pictures and Escape Artists appear to be closing in on a director for their long-developing reboot of Masters of the Universe.

TheWrap reports the studio has narrowed the list of potential replacements for Jon M. Chu to just three candidates: Harald Zwart (The Karate Kid, Mortal Instruments: City of Bones), Chris McKay (The LEGO Movie editor) and Mike Cahill (Another Earth).

In development since at least 2003, the film is of course based on the popular Mattel toy line that's served as a springboard for animated television series, comic books and the 1987 big-screen Dolph Lundgren vehicle.

Terry Rossio (Pirates of the Caribbean, The Lone Ranger) wrote the most recent script.