Universal Pictures has signed Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy helmer Gore Verbinski to direct and produce an adaptation of the popular video game BioShock. Aviator screenwriter John Logan is in talks to pen the script. Logan’s filmography also includes Any Given Sunday, Gladiator, The Last Samurai and Sweeney Todd.
Take-Two Interactive is getting a multimillion-dollar advance against gross points on the film. It is believed to be the biggest video game-to-movie deal since the infamous aborted Halo movie deal between Universal and Fox, for which Microsoft got $5 million against 10%. The BioShock deal is structured in a way ensuring the movie won’t end up in turnaround. Verbinski plans to start pre-production as soon as Logan’s script is finished and approved.
Since it’s release in August, Hollywood has eyeing a big screen adaptation of this popular first-person shooter. Praised for its morality-based storyline, immersive environment and Ayn Rand-inspired dystopian setting, the game has received overwhelmingly positive reviews, and ranks as the thirteenth best video game on Game Rankings. Set in an alternative history 1960, BioShock follows the story of a plane crash survivor named Jack, who must explore the underwater Objectivist-dystopian city of Rapture, and survive attacks by the mutated beings and mechanical drones that populate it. Jack is drawn into a power struggle during which he discovers that his will is not as free as he’d thought. I have also included the trailer for the video game below, so that you can get a better idea of what the game is about.
Pan’s Labyrinth director Guillermo del Toro recently praised the game:
“I love BIOSHOCK from a design point of view,” said del Toro. “The BIOSHOCK universe is indeed wonderful.”
The visuals are certainly cinematic enough for a big budget film, and critics have praised the game for it’s story, something not common in the video game field. Verbinski noted that Rapture’s art deco design and visually arresting characters attracted him to the project.
“I think the whole utopia-gone-wrong story that’s cleverly unveiled to players is just brimming with cinematic potential,” said Verbinski. “Of all the games I’ve played, this is one that I felt has a really strong narrative.
source: Variety
May 8th, 2008 at 9:33 pm
i was hoping Guillermo del Toro to direct this but with Gore Verbinski onboard, even better.
May 8th, 2008 at 9:38 pm
He did good on the first Pirates. The other 2 were absolutely horrible. The Bioshock game was crap. I’m not looking forward to this.
May 8th, 2008 at 9:46 pm
Wow, what great unexpected news. Cant wait
May 8th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
GeminiAce: BIOSHOCK is a masterpiece. Gamedesign doesn’tget better than that.
But Verbinski… Meh. Del Toro is the right man.
May 8th, 2008 at 9:54 pm
I really think UWE BOLL should direct this, hes one of the best video game directors of our time.
May 8th, 2008 at 9:56 pm
Greatest news ever.
May 8th, 2008 at 9:58 pm
Its great to see that a genuinely good game has a chance to be a genuinely good movie…as long as it doesn’t stray too far from the source material!
needless to say, I’m stoked.
May 8th, 2008 at 10:36 pm
awesome news, damn.
May 8th, 2008 at 10:51 pm
Video game movies ALWAYS turn out so well, I have no doubts about this at all.
May 8th, 2008 at 11:03 pm
“critics have praised the game for it’s story, something not common in the video game field”
Eh… you may be getting Video Games and Video Game Movies mixed up there Peter. There are countless games made over the last 2 decades with incredible story lines.
Grim Fandango
Deus Ex
Final Fantasy I to XII
Beyond Good And Evil
Fallout
Most of the Metal Gear Solid’s
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic
GTA IV
also Portal if you’re looking for a short Story.
May 8th, 2008 at 11:15 pm
I agree with ShamBob. It’s not too difficult to find games with great stories. Heck, in the past year we’ve had Mass Effect, Bioshock, Portal, GTA IV, even Half Life 2. The only hurdle now is to get the public/critics to accept that video games can be art, something Bioshock definitely helped with. The movie, if done well, should encourage other developers to continue to make artistic, deep games.
May 8th, 2008 at 11:37 pm
I just hope Verbinski doesn’t ‘Boll’ it up!
May 9th, 2008 at 12:06 am
if it gets an ‘R’ it’ll be cool, and possibly even groundbreaking. if it gets the ever so popular ‘pg-13′, it could become just another missed opportunity. then again, wasn’t the ring ‘pg-13′? maybe gore can make it work, i’d rather see the ‘R’.
May 9th, 2008 at 12:23 am
also, a big PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!! - let’s stick to the source material, okay?
May 9th, 2008 at 12:37 am
I vote for a Grim Fandango CGI movie!
May 9th, 2008 at 1:01 am
System Shock 2 > Bioshock
The Half-Life series would make for an amazing movie. But I’m glad Valve has been very proactive about not letting just anyone do the film and have looked over many scripts and said they haven’t seen anything close to being, “good”.
:)
May 9th, 2008 at 1:57 am
I seriously have the largest fucking boner right now.
It’s aimed at you Peter, this is AMAZING news.
May 9th, 2008 at 2:16 am
aghhh! And Hans Zimmer will more then likely do the score!
May 9th, 2008 at 3:04 am
The Half-Life series would make for an amazing movie.
Oh yes it would. Thats the one thing i have always wanted to see on big screen. Thers enough backstory and detail.
May 9th, 2008 at 3:41 am
This simply sounds too freakin’ awesome!
I can only imagine how one might turn this story into a film…
Can’t wait to hear more about this.
Dude.. HL would honestly be the last movie I would ever watch.. not because it would be bad, but because I would no longer need to be entertained.
May 9th, 2008 at 5:50 am
BioShock is brutal so as long as they do like @ orange cinema said and stick with an R rating (and a hard R at that) it should be good because the gore is a factor with the little sisters draining the dead bodies with those giant needles. Its just disturbingly, gory, awesome game.
@ Captain Awesome
The Half-Life series would make a great movie. It already has an epically encompassing story that plays better than any movie could do justice to, but it would be nice to see it on the big screen. (sorry for being off subject)
May 9th, 2008 at 6:42 am
Uwe Boll!!!!
May 9th, 2008 at 7:55 am
this movie is going to be kick ass if its well directed. not like that retarded doom movie that tried to make its self look like a game at the last 15 minutes!
I hope there’s gonna be a nice action/scary scene between Jack and the big daddy. And it also better be gory! they better not put the rating down just to get more mass audiences.
May 9th, 2008 at 10:39 am
OMFG, Larry Leonardo, you must be joking. Uwe Boll can’t direct a video game movie for shit. He directed Blood Rayne 2, House of the Dead and Alone in the dark. All of them pretty much sucked.
We’ll just have to wait and see if this is going to be any good. I hope it is. :]
May 9th, 2008 at 11:06 am
so when’s the Halo movie coming out????
May 9th, 2008 at 1:58 pm
I can’t wait for the Lego Star Wars movies!
May 9th, 2008 at 9:31 pm
YESSSSS! This is fantastic news!
May 10th, 2008 at 2:46 am
All I can say is this:
HOLY FUCKING SHIT YEAH!
May 11th, 2008 at 8:38 am
This should be good. Verbinski is not my first choice but I can see him making a pretty decent version, he’s definetly good with style heavy films.