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Sony Pictures registers BioShock movie domains
The on-again, off-again BioShock movie adaptation appears to be on the move again, as Sony Pictures has registered three domains seemingly related to the ethereal film. As Kotaku points out, Sony Pictures now holds the rights to bioshock-movie.com, bioshock-movie.net and bio-shock.net. None of those URLS bring up any sort of content, suggesting a preemptive move to lock up the domains in the event that Sony Pictures has need of them later. While this does not necessarily mean that the BioShock movie has entered production, it should be mentioned that this isn't the first time we've heard about this project in recent months. An IGN report from March 13 claims that Courtnee Draper, the actress who lent her voice to BioShock Infinite heroine Elizabeth, has been badgering BioShock maestro Ken Levine for the same role in the event of a movie adaptation. This is especially intriguing, given that Levine claims to have killed the BioShock production that Universal Studios was attempting to mount with Gore Verbinski in the director's chair. If Levine is still kicking around the idea to the extent that he's discussing the movie with a potential lead actress, maybe he hasn't entirely turned his back on the idea. Our attempts to reach BioShock publisher 2K Games for more information were met with a boilerplate "no comment." [Image: 2K Games]
BioShock movie concept art emerges from Hollywood's depths
The BioShock movie isn't going to happen, but if it ever does, this is how it might look. Concept art from Hollywood illustrator Jim Martin depicts the underwater world of Rapture in BioShock, including grand, greenish cities and dank sewage tunnels. Rapture's interior has already fallen into disrepair in Martin's concepts, with one illustration showing dingy, peeling wallpaper, and another depicting a rusty Big Daddy repair room. The BioShock film is officially dead, after years of budget and talent negotiations. In 2008, Gore Verbinski announced he would direct a hard-R BioShock movie, and he wanted $200 million to make it as bloody as possible. Hollywood executives would only shell out $80 million, and Verbinski dropped out. 28 Weeks Later director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo jumped on board but then leapt right back off in 2012. BioShock creator Ken Levine killed the project himself. Ah, what could have been. See all of Martin's BioShock concept art on his portfolio.
Levine: 'I killed' the BioShock movie
Stop asking about the BioShock movie. It's dead, it's all Ken Levine's fault, and this is how it went down: Pirates of the Caribbean's Gore Verbinski announced he was directing a BioShock movie in 2008, and said he wanted to make it a hard-R-rated film with "a lot of blood," Irrational Games creative director Ken Levine said during a BAFTA talk, reported by Eurogamer.And then Watchmen came out and bombed by Hollywood standards, and the BioShock studio got cold feet. Verbinski originally wanted $200 million, but executives would commit to just $80 million, "and Gore didn't want to make a $80 million film," Levine said. Verbinski brought in a new director, 28 Weeks Later's Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, but by March he was also out, and Levine had pulled the plug."They brought another director in, and I didn't really see the match there – and 2K's one of these companies that puts a lot of creative trust in people," Levine said. "So they said if you want to kill it, kill it. And I killed it."A BioShock movie could get off the ground someday, maybe, Levine said. "It may happen one day, who knows, but it'd have to be the right combination of people." After all this public, back-and-forth teasing, we'd like to ask Levine if he'd kindly make a high-profile BioShock movie happen for real.
Bioshock film adaptation loses director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo
It's been a couple years since we've caught wind of any movement on the Bioshock movie adaptation announced back in 2008. Last we heard, pre-production on the film had been halted while discussions were held regarding the project's necessary budget and potential rating upon release.Those talks are still ongoing, but once-attached director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo has apparently run out of patience. "To be honest, by now, I'm completely out of that, and developing other stuff," Fresnadillo said in a statement to The Playlist. "Right now it's on hold. The studio and the video game company, they have to reach some kind of agreement about the budget and the rating."Here, Hollywood, allow us to resolve four years' worth of negotiations in four seconds: Make Bioshock's budget "all of the money" and let it have an R rating. Problem solved.
Fan-made BioShock movie trailer is as real as it gets (for now)
Even though we keep hearing about this BioShock movie thing, we're reluctant to believe it'll ever make it to the cineplex. It's almost a shame, then, that this short and sweet teaser for a proposed fan-film has just reinvigorated our interest.
Verbinski and co. trying to trim BioShock movie budget
Speaking of BioShock, the Gore Verbinski-produced film adaptation of the game is apparently still in the works, despite being halted for budgetary concerns more than a year ago. IGN got word straight from Verbinski: "The problem with BioShock was: R-rated movie, underwater, horror. It's a really expensive R-rated movie. So we're trying to figure out a way working with [director] Juan Carlos [Fresnadillo] to get the budget down and still keep so it's true to the core audience, you know? The thing is it has to be R, a hard R." So we now know three things: (1) nobody's going to spend a lot of money to make that, (2) it sounds like it would be really awesome if they did and (3) seriously, nobody's going to spend a lot of money to make that. ... But, again -- would be awesome.
Variety: 28 Weeks Later director considered for BioShock movie
Variety reports that Universal Pictures is in negotiations with 28 Weeks Later director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo over the position of director for the BioShock adaptation. The project was originally to be directed by Gore Verbinski, who remains a producer on the title, and who set aside plans to direct a fourth Pirates of the Caribbean movie for BioShock. According to Variety, Verbinski opted out of BioShock due to the studio's decision to move production overseas. Take-Two still has the right to approve a director for the adaptation. While the company must have been pleased with a big name like Verbinski attached to the project, it may also be pleased with the undoubtedly lower cost of a non-Verbinski.
Verbinski doubtful about BioShock flick, wants to make games
We've been a little doubtful that the BioShock movie would actually get made after it was first announced, but director Gore Verbinski is starting to come around to our way of thinking. Verbinski told the LA Times that he thought the movie could still get made, but likely in a foreign country that offers tax breaks for movie makers. Verbinski also says he wants to get into the games business, which would be more troubling if the very first thing he'd said about it hadn't been, "It's a mistake for Hollywood to impose themselves on the gaming space. Not only is it arrogant, but it hasn't really worked." Music to our ears.
BioShock movie gets budget cut, 'in a holding pattern'
The bad economy just won't stop showing up in our news posts these days. First we get predictions of months of down sales, and now we get news that the Gore Verbinski directed BioShock film adaptation is stuck "in a holding pattern." Variety is reporting that Verbinski and production company Universal are looking at possibly moving the currently in pre-production film to outside the US to "take advantage of a tax credit," allegedly looking at moving production to London from its current Los Angeles locale. Additionally, according to Variety's sources, some of the pre-production staff has been let go while the budget restructuring takes place. The studio (and Verbinski himself) have vowed to not allow the BioShock movie to succumb to the same fate as the perpetually on-again, off-again Halo film. As BioShock is one of the few games we could actually see making a really interesting film, we're hoping they're not just pulling our chain. [Thanks, Aaron!]
Ken Levine's role in BioShock 2 not 'material'
Besides working on "Super Secret Project That We're Dying to Find Out About X," Ken Levine also has an involvement of some sort with the follow-up to his hit BioShock, as well as the upcoming film based on the license. Heart-breakingly, he recently told OXM his work with BioShock 2 isn't really "material," that he's only "informally engaged in certain scenes."His involvement with the film is even harder to pin down. Levine said, "My job there is to be a friend to [director] Gore [Verbinski] and [writer] John [Logan], be a resource for them and kick ideas around with them. At the end of the day John's the writer and Gore's the director. I'm not the traffic cop."...Umm, if KennyL is hiring himself out as a friend, shouldn't we have been his first choice? Or at least been allowed to make an offer? We think he would have found our salary of numerous hugs and adoring stares very competitive.
Ken Levine: BioShock film won't be a stinker
Speaking to videogaming247.com, 2K Boston's Ken Levine did his best to allay the fear that the upcoming BioShock film will be a turkey. "You're always going to be worried that in that first meeting they're going to be, like, 'OK, it's Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey on a desert island hunting for pirate treasure,' but it's not going to go that way," said Levine. The film's director Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean) "gets" BioShock according to Levine, and he assures fans that Verbinski and script writer John Logan "will very much honour the dramatic and thematic elements of the game." Considering Verbinski managed to turn a theme park ride into a decent set of films, we're hopeful that Levine's faith is justified. Then again, the last time someone made a game movie and claimed to really understand the source material, we wound up Silent Hill.Fingers crossed.
Bad news: BioShock movie won't be 'Fool's Gold'
It should come as no surprise that our favorite film around Joystiq HQ is Matthew McConaughey starrer Fool's Gold. We even have an adorable little Fool's Gold drinking game where ... well, we get really drunk and watch Fool's Gold. It's precious. Now, Ken Levine tells videogaming247 that, despite what we all assumed, the BioShock movie will be little to nothing like Fool's Gold! "You're always going to be worried that in that first meeting they're going to be, like, 'OK, it's Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey on a desert island hunting for pirate treasure,' but it's not going to go that way," he said. Apparently, KennyL thinks director Gore Verbinski and crew "will very much honor the dramatic and thematic elements of the game." ... So you're saying there's not even room for Alexis Dziena as a ditzy heiress who proves to herself that she has something more to offer besides a killer body and a 1,000-watt smile? Why are you even making this movie?
Bioshock 3 confirmed, likely coming with the movie
While it was assumed when there was an announcement of Bioshock 2, it's now been confirmed that the series is officially set to be a trilogy. In an investor conference call Strauss Zelnick, Take-Two CEO discussed the movie and the likelihood that it wouldn't be ready in time for the second game (duh) but that it could see release alongside the third in the series. Given the surprising sales of the first game and the potential of the IP at this point, Bioshock 3 is as sure of a thing now as Halo 3 was in 2003. That is to say financially guaranteed, but a long way off.
BioShock movie may be out in time for BioShock 3
As part of a conference call following Take Two's second quarter earnings, company officials addressed questions from analysts on a number of topics, including the previously announced plan to give fan favorite BioShock a movie makeover. Despite the obvious vocal excitement from Take Two officials regarding the project, it may be some time before we see Big Daddies and Little Sisters frolic on the big screen, with Take-Two chair Strauss Zelnick stating that "it's unlikely that [the movie] would be released alongside BioShock 2...and it's more likely that it would be released alongside BioShock 3, but that remains to be seen." No, that's not a typo: BioShock THREE. Additionally, while no specific details were shed on what we can expect from the movie, Take Two certainly appears to be taking a somewhat hands-off approach to the project. Zelnick commented that while the company "feels it is something that could be beneficial," Take Two has "structured the deal so we have no economic structure or risk."
BioShock movie in development, Gore Verbinski directing
var digg_url = 'http://www.joystiq.com/2008/05/08/bioshock-movie-in-development-gore-verbinski-directing/'; Looks like the rumor we broke back in January that Hollywood was flirting with the BioShock license was dead-on. Variety reports that Universal has signed a deal to turn BioShock into a movie. Director Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean) will head the project and Aviator writer John Logan may write the screenplay. Take-Two executive chairman Strauss Zelnick, who was in charge of Fox in the '90s, handled the deal for his company and says the project will actually get made ... unlike the Halo movie.There's also an interview with Verbinski on Variety's Cut Scene blog where he discusses the project. He believes the movie will be rated "R" and says, in terms of the Little Sisters, that he'll take the issue "right up to the edge," not wanting the core audience to feel "betrayed." Though no release date is currently targeted, Verbinski says he'll start pre-production when Logan's script is finished and approved.[Update: If there was any doubt as to the validity of this story, Take Two itself just issued confirmation that the movie adaptation of its undersea adventure is indeed in the works.] BioShock was made by 2K Boston and 2K Australia, studios in the Take Two family. Get edumucated, check out our Take-Two Family Album.
Milk it! BioShock MMO, mobile, and movie are 'potential opportunities'
As predictable as adapting moody, atmospheric shooter BioShock into a movie is – hell, if they're squeezing a mobile game out of the "franchise" a movie hardly seems far-fetched – we weren't quite expecting to hear that owner Take-Two is considering a BioShock MMO as well. (Also listed as an "MMOG/Online Gaming" opportunity: Civilization.) Maybe Take-Two's just really into alliteration and thought the two extra Ms made slide 24 – titled "Potential Untapped Opportunities" – of chairman Strauss Zelnick's presentation at the 2008 Smid Cap Conference today that much more attractive? Or maybe it wanted to show shareholders that Take-Two has everything it needs to compete with the likes of EA in-house, including big-name brands that can be milked to exhaustion. Might we suggest sure-to-be-lucrative BioShock Big Daddy mittens ... or perhaps BioShock "Plasmid brand" malted milk balls ... [Via Massively]
Rumor: BioShock movie murmurs in Hollywood
Digging through all the praise heaped upon BioShock, you're sure to scrape your nails across several repeated phrases such as "engaging," "gripping" and "atmospheric." Some have even said it's "pretty good." The most common one, however, is sure to be "cinematic," a term that places BioShock and Hollywood in rather close proximity. A reliable source within a major film production company has told Joystiq that the two have been getting along famously, with a movie adaptation of 2K's successful franchise already being discussed by the Big Daddies internally. 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. While it's not guaranteed to move beyond these early stages, this project has our full support, if only so we can see M. Night Shyamalan's face when he gets out-twisted. Of course, the potential film would do well to remember that while it's desirable for a game to share traits with cinema, the opposite situation will likely earn a thumbs down from most critics. %Gallery-3725% %Gallery-6604%
