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Online Blog Bioshock: Sink or Swim?
We first heard rumors of a BioShock movie in early 2008 as reports began to emerge that our geeky, cinematic pipe-dreams actually stood some chance of coming true. At the time, reports suggested the following: "The studio hopes to bring the fallen aquatic utopia of Rapture to celluloid life through extensive use of green screen technology, an approach not dissimilar to Legendary Pictures' interpretation of 300. If the computer generated approach is deemed feasible and fitting, the focus can then shift to capturing BioShock's secondary (and uninhabited) characters."
Rapture's dim, disastrous future seemed rather bright for filmgoers as word began to spread throughout the fan community that visionary director Guillermo del Toro had jumped onboard the bathosphere to take control of the adaptation. Sadly, as soon as the rumors were started, del Toro himself shot them down, stating to the press, "I'm a big fan of BioShock, but I'm not involved in creating any movie out of it." Always the tease, however, del Toro added coyly, "Not yet." The denial hit some fans hard, especially considering that del Toro's body of work and colorful visual style suggested he might just be the perfect artiste to bring Rapture's distinct look to life.
Just who would eventually get the job was announced only a short time later when Variety reported that Pirates of the Caribbean helmer Gore Verbinski had officially scored the gig, directing a script written by Gladitor scribe John Logan.
"I think the whole utopia-gone-wrong story that's cleverly unveiled to players is just brimming with cinematic potential," Verbinski told Variety. "Of all the games I've played, this is one that I felt has a really strong narrative." Verbinski said that Rapture's art deco look and the visually impressive characters were what made him want to see the game translated into a film.
And then, much like Rapture itself, things began to fall apart. Almost a year passed before we received any official word on the status of the project, and when Verbinski signed-up to direct yet another adaptation of the board game Clue, many wondered what that meant for the future of BioShock. Meanwhile, Verbinski's former collaborator Jerry Bruckheimer was anxiously trying to reunite the team for a fourth Pirates film. Would Verbinski walk away from BioShock to return?
Word came down on April 8, 2009 that Verbinski had walked away… not from BioShock, however, but from Pirates. The helmer told trade mag Variety: "I had a fantastic time bringing Pirates to life, and I am eternally grateful to Jerry [Bruckheimer], Johnny [Depp] and the rest of the creative and production team. I'm looking forward to all of us crossing paths again in the future." And one of the reasons listed for his departure was his continued work on the development of the BioShock adaptation.
And then, only three weeks after having passed on the Pirates gig – certainly no little payday for the director – Universal officially put the breaks on BioShock. Variety reported that the movie version of the videogame was getting too costly – the budget was said to have risen into the $160 million range. The shoot was originally to take place in Los Angeles, but Universal and Verbinski were trying to "figure out a way to make the film at a more reasonable budget." Some production staff had been let go, and there was talk about moving the shoot to London in order to cut down on costs.
"We were asked by Universal to move the film outside the U.S. to take advantage of a tax credit," Verbinski said. "We are evaluating whether this is something we want to do. In the meantime, the film is in a holding pattern."
Rapture had begun to collapse. The city was taking on water from all sides.
A few months later, Verbinski – very much the Andrew Ryan of the cinematic sunken city – finally departed the project, stating, "The bottom line is it has to shoot out of the States for budget reasons and my schedule may be prohibitive. There's a great script and a really interesting cast. It really comes down to the financial model now… Big movies are just not being shot in the States. I'm weighing whether I can physically go to the U.K. or Australia or one of those other places with a tax rebate for a year-and-a-half."
It was a non-committal exit, but an exit nonetheless. The departure would leave the Splicers to roam the halls of Rapture without a leader for several months until 28 Weeks Later director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo took the gig. Or at least was in talks to take the gig, according to Variety. The remainder of 2009 progressed under the assumption that Fresnadillo was at the helm, but no official word has ever been given on the matter and no further updates have surfaced from the ocean floor
As long as the movie covers the rise and fall of the city, it's got enough going on for theaters, right?
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