Sony Pictures has halted pre-production of the upcoming sci-fi tale Singularity, to focus on perfecting the screenplay. We first reported on the project back in June, when Sony picked up the adaptation rights.

Director Roland Emmerich is co-writing the screenplay with Harald Kloser, and they have also brought on scientific expert Raymond Kurzweil to help with the script revisions. Raymond Kurzweil actually first coined the term Singularity, the belief that artificial intelligence will, one day, surpass human intelligence.

Singularity is set 50 years in the future and centers on a nanotechnology pioneer who decides to use his nanobots to save his badly-injured son. The scientist must go on the run with his son to escape the corporation which developed this futuristic nanotechnology.

Sony has already slated a May 17, 2013 release date for Singularity, and, despite the delay, the studio still plans on hitting that date. Principal photography, which was initially slated to begin in March, will now start in late spring or early summer next year.