Announced almost exactly one year ago, the film adaptation of the award winning Bioshock has now been put into what is known as a ‘holding pattern’.
Apparently, Universal Studios has decided that the $160million budget is a little bit too high, and has instructed director Gore Verbinski to look for ways to cut costs. Apparently, the studio asked Verbinski to film the movie outside of the USA, which would allow them to take advantage of tax breaks. Verbinski told Variety that this is something they are considering.
Bioshock fans need not fear however, as Universal representatives told Kotaku that the movie has not been canned, and will not become another Halo, which was canceled when Universal and Fox got apprehensive about the budget.
Verbinksi, who directed the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, has already announced that he will not be “on board” for the fourth installment of the swashbuckling money spinner because he will be occupied with the Bioshock movie.
The bridge that connects videogames to movies has not been walked with much success in the past. However, Bioshock’s script is being written by Josh Logan, who penned the dialogue for Gladiator and The Aviator, both fine films in their own right.
The combination of Verbinski and Logan along with a hefty budget from Universal will surely make Bioshock the best film adaptation of a videogame yet.
Let’s hope that Bioshock does not in fact become another Halo, and that the producers manage to find a way to cut costs without making any significant sacrifices to the quality of the final product.
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