We revisit the problem of prescribing negative Gauss curvature for graphs embedded in \mathbb R^{n+1} when n\geq 2. The problem reduces to solving a fully nonlinear Monge-Ampère equation that becomes hyperbolic in the case of negative curvature. We show that the linearization around a graph with Lorentzian Hessian can be written as a geometric wave equation for a suitable Lorentzian metric in dimensions n\geq 3. Using energy estimates for the linearized equation and a version of the Nash-Moser iteration, we show the local solvability for the fully nonlinear equation. Finally, we discuss some obstructions and perspectives on the global problem.