Bioshock movie put on hold

PALGN News | Gore Verbinski's adaptation halted due to escalating budget.

Film industry publication Variety is reporting that Bioshock, the film adaptation of the highly-acclaimed 2007 videogame of the same name, has been put on hold by Universal Pictures due to budgetary concerns.

The film, which is currently in the pre-production phase of development, was reportedly budgeted at US $160m and due to shoot in Los Angeles in the near future. A number of production staff have reportedly been let go from the project and other shooting locations are being considered with an aim to making Bioshock a more financially-viable venture.

Director Gore Verbinski of Pirates of the Caribbean fame reportedly remains attached to direct the film, which is scripted by Gladiator scribe John Logan.

"We were asked by Universal to move the film outside the U.S. to take advantage of a tax credit," said Verbinski. "We are evaluating whether this is something we want to do. In the meantime, the film is in a holding pattern".

Only time will tell whether moviegoers will ever step foot in Rapture or whether the film will implode like the Halo adaptation of a couple of years ago.

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16 Comments

grim-one

3 years ago

They could do a really awesome haunting, horror movie out of Bioshock. Of course I think they'd actually make it into a terrible action movie.

ANDYBALLINA

3 years ago

Damn it, was really looking to this movie, so hopefully it still gets made. Although as most of the video game movies, it could of turned out crap. But I think with the story and team behind it, it would be really good.

ArcherGrave

3 years ago

not with those writes and directors, it will be good.

I think this means they are considering Australia ( YESS! )

Lord Haart

3 years ago

I don't know that this can work.

Bioshock's immersive feel came very much from the first-person point of view, and the anonymity of the protagonist (I think this will hold equally for #2). The only way I think this might work, is if the film's premise is the genesis of Rapture. Starting by showing the various founders of Rapture seeing and feeling the inequities of surface life, following them through the construction of their dream city, and finally showing how human nature corrupts and destroys their vision.

If they try anything after that plotline, I think they'll end up picking a single protagonist, which will weaken the effect of the setting considerably.

Fetidchimp

3 years ago

Bruce Willis Samuel L Jackson - Bio Hard

Would you kindly get rid of these monkey fighting big daddys

Sin Ogaris

3 years ago

Are you sure it's not being held off because it's going to suck?

Wedley

3 years ago

Cool, Gore Verbinski and John Logan!

John Logan wrote The Last Samurai, The Aviator, and Sweeney Todd. John Logan plus Gore Verbinski equals A Sure Thing.

That's if the movie goes ahead, of course. But with these two dudes, as well as the concept of Bioshock itself, this could be a Game-to-Film adaptation that's actually valuable.

Ka-Pom

3 years ago

Maybe there is a god out there. Stopping such silly projects from being completed.

Adam

3 years ago

Wedley wrote

John Logan wrote The Last Samurai, The Aviator, and Sweeney Todd.

He also wrote the remake of The Time Machine and Star Trek: Nemesis, so his hit/miss ratio is worse than you may think.

mattstep

3 years ago

My issue with the proposed film is that to me the game was very much about the linear nature of video games. It plays with gaming conventions and that there is traditionally only one solution to each problem presented to the player. Bioshock uses gameplay itself to gave meaning to it's narrative.

SPOILER wrote

Hence every player did exactly what Fontaine asked using the "Would you kindly..." term. Thus the twist is so clever.

This obviously can't be archived by a film. Sure it could function as a shallow plot twist, but little more. The film could pull off the mood and the aesthetic feel of the game, but I definitely feel Bioshock is one of the rare examples of narrative story telling that can only really be achieved through gameplay.

ArcherGrave

3 years ago

Adam wrote

He also wrote the remake of The Time Machine

i liked time machine all because it is a remake doesnt mean you should hate it, such a typical mentality " remake = horrible "

It was a good movie, nothing wrong with it

Adam

3 years ago

ArcherGrave wrote

i liked time machine all because it is a remake doesnt mean you should hate it, such a typical mentality " remake = horrible "

It was a good movie, nothing wrong with it

It's fine to have your own opinion on the movie, but you shouldn't assume I dislike it just because it's a remake (or rather a second adaptation of the original novella). Taking it on its own qualities, I dislike it because it takes an interesting concept and then squashes it into a fairly bland action story with stiff characters. By the end, the plot was so by the numbers I had lost all interest, and I haven't even mentioned the ridiculous monkey men. However I didn't hate the film, as I loved the design of the time machine itself, and the special effects people obviously had a good time.

That all said, when you do compare it to the original movie or the book, it's much more, shall we say, Hollywood-ised, and not for the better in my opinion. If you did like The Time Machine, I would encourage you to read the original H.G. Wells book, as it is classic science fiction.

I'm not going to derail the topic further, so to get back on topic with Bioshock - I am not exceptionally optimistic with this being put back on track. Whenever an awesome adaptation project gets announced like Halo or Bioshock, I'm very sceptical of it actually making it to production. I'm astonished Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is actually being made, Jake Gyllenhaal casting nonwithstanding.

the doag

3 years ago

Gore Verbinski? Is he another Ume Bowl> Is he proven? In a nutshell, what's he done and can he deliver what i believe to be the best story of any video game i have ever played.

Fetidchimp

3 years ago

pirates of the caribbean, the ring and mousehunt were his. Not my cup of tea personally, however he has made them an utter truckload of money so i find it odd that they are busting his balls over this one.

TristanVTV

3 years ago

well apparantly movies that involve alot of water need about three times the budget to regular movies (heard this from the podcast at visitingthevillage.com)
If the movie is having budget problems already...this may not ever be completed, which sucks cos it could be awsome!

grim-one

3 years ago

mattstep wrote

SPOILER wrote

Hence every player did exactly what Fontaine asked using the "Would you kindly..." term. Thus the twist is so clever.

*SPOILERS BELOW*

I think they could work it in to a film. Just have the requests seem natural to the protagonist, until the confrontation where he is kindly to do things against his will. It's not really that different to the game, just a little more subtle.

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Bioshock

Pre-order or buy:
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Australian Release Date:
  17/10/2008 (Confirmed)
Standard Retail Price:
  $109.95 AU
Publisher:
  Take 2 Interactive
Genre:
  Survival/Horror
Year Made:
  2006
Players:
  1

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