BioShock Movie in “Holding Pattern” Due to Costs
Tuesday, April 28th, 2009As a fan of Take-Two Interactive’s BioShock (yes, the review is harsh at times, but whatever, I do what I want), I am a bit mixed in my anticipatory efforts when it comes to the perhaps inevitable theatrical film version of said game.
Part of me (the formerly passionate film student) starts to envision my own version of BioShock, but it keeps coming out looking a lot like the video game, as it was so pretty in the first place. I fondly remember that first time I watched the opening introduction-to-Rapture sequence. Lovely, just lovely. Visually arresting, in fact.
Yet, then I start thinking plot, and I then remember how tedious the plot of the game became after the initial headiness of the visuals dissipated. Screenwriter John Logan is working the game into a worthwhile feature film, no doubt with an attached love interest. Sure, Logan wrote Gladiator, but he is also responsible for the so-long-and-boring The Aviator (ok, the plane crash was cool, but every scene with the usually deft Cate Blanchett as Katherine Hepburn made my skin crawl and the end was — what was that?).
The jaded useless-film-degree-holding critic in me thinks that no matter what the film will be a disappointment. The director is Gore Verbinski, who did a family-fun-job of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Before POTC, however, he is responsible for The Ring (pointless) and The Mexican (didn’t see, didn’t want to), and come on, can you really have faith that this man will do BioShock justice?
Anyway, Universal is halting further pre-production on the film version of BioShock. Costs are spiraling out of control, I guess. Unlike Pirates, there is not a built-in audience for BioShock that 
can make $160 million a tenable cost for such a film. True, there is an audience, but not quite a Disney-sized audience (maybe as fanatical).
My biggest question is how will BioShock the Movie deal with harvesting the Little Sisters? Not sure too many child welfare groups will be too keen on ripping the hearts out of young girls…Adoption-option only.
BioShock, Universal, Gore Verbinski, John Logan, Disney, Pirates of the Caribbean, film, video games as movies
