Whoa


Gore Verbinski to Direct Bioshock
Source: Variety May 9, 2008


Universal Pictures has signed "Pirates of the Caribbean" trilogy helmer Gore Verbinski to direct and produce an adaptation of Bioshock, last year's hit video game that sold more than 2 million units worldwide. John Logan is in talks to write the screenplay.

Variety says "Bioshock" publisher 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 2005, when Universal and Fox signed onto the since aborted Halo movie, for which Microsoft got $5 million against 10%.

"Bioshock" takes place in an underwater city based on the free market principles of Ayn Rand, but things have gone disastrously wrong. Players control a pilot who crash-lands at a secret entrance to the city, called Rapture, and is drawn into a power struggle during which he discovers that his will is not as free as he'd thought.

"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.

Verbinski noted that Rapture's art deco design and visually arresting characters, such as the mechanical Big Daddys who protect genetically mutated girls called Little Sisters, particularly inspired him to see the game as a film.

Though no release date is even being targeted, Verbinski said he plans to start pre-production as soon as Logan's script is finished and approved by all involved.

Take-Two is developing a "Bioshock" sequel that will be released in 2009, almost certainly before the film comes out.

This may have potential

Man, this could be cool.

That game was just plain creepy.

I really can't imagine them staying true to the whole concept of that game. If they actually have cute little girls running around harvesting "Adam" out of dead bodies, while being protected by a giant metal monster...well...I'll go see it twice.

potential downfalls:

shitty scriptwriter
pg-13 rating (almost guaranteed)
potential involvement of bruckheimer

in before the shit adaptation

John Logan (no Oscar-winner, but he's good)
R rating, according to Verbinski
Bruckheimer's good for a gem every now and then

:hopeful:

all the video game films released so far are balls for these two reasons:
A. shitty source material
B. shitty script

a possible exception to point A is silent hill. but if they'd really wanted to make a great film, they should have adapted silent hill 2.

now there are three films currently in production to which point A doesn't apply: max payne, prince of persia and now, bioshock.

max payne is being written by a dude named shawn ryan who's written episodes for Angel and The Shield. prince of persia is supposedly written by jordan mechner, the series' creator and writer for the sands of time. and now bioshock is being done by the dude who wrote the aviator?

i'm cautiously optimistic about all three of them, with a heavy emphasis on cautious. i do suspect that, within ten years, there will have been some game films that are at least decent. i'm keeping my fingers crossed for that one excellent script, though.

as for bioshock,

Spoiler: show

the 'would you kindly' twist doesn't translate to film AT ALL, i wonder how they'll handle it.

i lied when i said all game films sucked, by the way. one of them is excellent - a fucking masterpiece even. guess which one

How do you figure that?

Yeah. I don't see why that wouldn't work, either. It was a post-hypnotic suggestion, right? Cheesy? Sure. But not any cheesier than half the other shit hollywood tries to pawn off.

What bothers me most about this is that i already know the whole damn plot.

But it really would be a cool plot to a movie if done right. It would have to be visually SPECTACULAR to work, though.

Yeah, this movie has the potential to be absolutely epic.

Haha. Or complete dogshit.

It's not gonna be mediocre, that's for sure.

Some of us prefer to scope out that other side of the fence, ya know. I'll just assume it's a home run until I read or hear otherwise. More fun that way.