Gore Verbinski’s Bioshock Put On Pause and Saved by Universal

Posted by Neil Miller (neil@filmschoolrejects.com) on April 26, 2009

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Early last week we were reminded by an article by director J.J. Abrams in Wired Magazine that Super Mario Bros. II was, to the detriment of our childhoods, without a save function. Having been reminded of this, we were forced to take a few days off this weekend as “personal days,” in which we cried softly in the various corners of Reject HQ. Therefore all that has been on our minds lately is the ever-important pause and save function in video games. We find it ironic that the news out of one of the most highly anticipated video game adaptations ever is that it has been put, get this, on pause. Get the joke?

Variety reported over the weekend that the Bioshock film, which is currently in development under director Gore Verbinski and Universal Pictures, has been put on hold due to some financial issues. The issue is that as pre-production wore on the John Logan-scripted video game adaptation’s budget rose to over $160 million dollars, causing the studio to slam on the breaks.

Verbinski’s original intentions were to shoot the film in Los Angeles, but now according to the director they are considering shooting in London to take advantage of extra tax breaks. Of course, this exposes an obvious flaw in our tax system that is causing film productions to go overseas. What’s next, are our clothes and toys and Wal-Mart sale items going to be made in other countries just like our movies? Oh right, never mind.

Either way, the entire point of all the press being given to this situation — or at least the way that Universal would like it to be spun — is that they are still hellbent on making the movie. According to the studio, this will not be the next Halo movie, a situation that haunts video game fans to this day. Of course we are required to only believe this when we finally see it — which might be never, so prepare yourselves for more soul-crushing disappointment.

What odds do you give to a Bioshock movie actually getting made? 3 to 1? 7,489 to 1?


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  • It can be expensive filming at the bottom of the ocean.
  • Deathklok learned that the hard way.
  • A. Ryan
    Gore Verbinski made the Pirates movies, a franchise so ridiculously successful (despite the sequels being terrible) that it should entitle the director to one of those "make whatever the hell you want" free passes. I'll despair once Bioshock has truly sunk into developmental hell by getting passed to another director.
  • kheas
    1st they have to built the city under the ocean, you know for realism. That is going to be pricey. They could probably recoup the money by offering the city up to scientists, artists and the like as sort of a refuge from the word. Let them use it for a place they can experiment without any oversight... could work.
  • Dripping water and the occasional ping sound is all you need.

    Another example of how California can't even keep the franchises that they are famous for.
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