The Sims and Loki's Kate Herron are a match made in heaven

Crafting a career for one Sim in the police force while they're living under the same roof as a career criminal. Making them learn magic tricks in the morning before sending them on a trip to Vacation Island in the evening. Even getting bored and trying out different ways to kill them off to create some drama – the game really has it all. (We've all done that final one... right?)

Whatever you fancy getting up to, The Sims is your oyster. That's the appeal of the title – it's a chance to push boundaries in new and unexpected ways. And this must also be a major appeal for filmmakers.

In the wrong hands, of course, this absence of constraints could easily lead to nonsensical dross. When the options are so limitless, when the potential scope for a movie is so vast, the storytelling could easily fall by the wayside in favour of flashy visuals and a disjointed sequence of unconnected goings-on – as 2018's rather shallow Ready Player One proved.

However, under the watchful eye of Loki's Kate Herron, this wild idea might just come good.

In the first season of the god of mischief's Disney Plus show, the director proved she has all of the skills and sensibilities to take a giant blank canvas and craft something focused and engaging.

In that show, the introduction of the Time Variance Authority opened the door to literally endless possibilities, countless timelines and realities, and Herron and her team made the most of the insanity that could provide.

Whether it was Tom Hiddleston's Loki bumping into a reptilian version of himself at the end of time or Richard E Grant sporting dodgy cosplay to take down an ethereal being, that first season took bold swings whenever it could, leading to several of the MCU's most memorable moments in the process.

Yet for all of the madness, it was the admittedly slightly odd relationship between Loki and his variant Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino), and the blossoming friendship between god of mischief and TVA agent Mobius (Owen Wilson), that really hooked audiences in.

This same formula could work wonders in The Sims. With countless expansions and mod packs across the past two decades – bringing magic and 'hot dates', all manner of pets and actual alien life forms – there hasn't been a concept that the Electronic Arts franchise hasn't covered.

As with Loki, this provides Herron with a broad field to play in; more so, perhaps, as there are no restrictions from established comic book lore and no pressure from fan expectations – which Marvel stars like Anthony Mackie have admitted can limit storytelling possibilities.

Simply put, there is the opportunity to do anything with this film, which for many creatives could be a terrifying thought – but for someone like Herron will no doubt be a thrilling prospect, and it should be exciting for us viewers too. I, for one, can't wait to see the Sims equivalent of a spandex-clad Grant shouting, "Glorious purpose!"

Yet it isn't just the creative potential that's exciting – it's the storytelling opportunities. For all we love to take risks with our Sims, getting them to try out outlandish activities that we'll never get to experience in real life, it's the human aspect that keeps us glued to our computers.

For whatever reason, it's impossible not to get connected to these pixels on the screen, feeling embarrassingly overjoyed when they make a big relationship breakthrough, and welling up after an all-night gaming session as one of them reaches the end of their life.

This is where Herron can elevate the material. As mentioned, the Loki-Sylvie dynamic proved that she can take even the most eccentric characters, the most bizarre relationships, and make them fascinating.

And she's shown her ability to put emotion first even outside of her biggest gig to date – her episodes of Sex Education proving prime examples.

For a movie like this to truly hit home, it has to hit you in the feels, as Barbie proved with its tear-jerking journey for Margot Robbie's lead character (What Was I Made For? is still a sore listen), and under this director, you'd fully expect to find central relationships and dynamics that connect with the audience, regardless of whatever madness is taking place in the background.

Of course, this could all end horribly and we may well wind up with yet another poor video game adaptation. But, much like my wayward Sim putting himself forward for that big promotion to 'Criminal Mastermind', I'm going to live in hope.

Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.

Try Radio Times magazine today and get 10 issues for only £10 – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.