Universal Pictures stops Verbinski’s ‘Bioshock’

Movies News

By Adnan Tezer Apr 26, 2009, 1:54 GMT

Universal Pictures has stopped pre-production work on the big screen adaptation of the Take-Two Interactive video game “Bioshock” – which was scheduled to see Gore Verbinski handling directing chores.Variety reports the studio and Verbinski have shelved the project while they examine a way to cut the film’s budget down. The film, which featured a John Logan script, was scheduled to shoot in Los Angeles with a budget expected to be about $160 million.The director and studio are reportedly considering moving production to London to help cut cost on the film, and have dismissed some of the film’s production staff. In Variety, Verbinski stated: "We were asked by Universal to move the film outside the U.S. to take advantage of a tax credit. We are evaluating whether this is something we want to do. In the meantime, the film is in a holding pattern."The story for "Bioshock" takes place in an underwater city based on the free market principles of Ayn Rand. However, things have gone disastrously wrong. In the game, players control a pilot who crash-lands at a secret entrance to the city, called Rapture, and is caught in the power struggle during which he discovers that his will is not as free as he'd thought.Verbinski passed on the fourth “Pirates of the Caribbean” adventure so he could direct “Bioshock” and is also lined up to produce the film through his Blind Wink studio. The film’s delay has been compared to Universal’s delay of Ridley Scott’s untitled Robin Hood flick with Russell Crowe. The studio is now moving forward with that film, but at a reported budget of $130 million – which is much lower than the film’s first estimate.

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The story for "Bioshock" takes place in an underwater city based on the free market principles of Ayn Rand. However, things have gone disastrously wrong. In the game, players control ...more

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