IGN is reporting today that the live-action BioShock movie that was in the works was put on hold due to budget issues. Take a look:
As a big fan of BioShock, like many of you, I hope that the movie does get finished and released. We'll have to see what happens.
Universal Pictures has put director Gore Verbinski's live-action BioShock adaptation on hold. The project, which had been in pre-production, has been halted while budget issues are being worked out.
Variety is reporting that the movie version of the videogame was getting too costly -- the budget is said to have risen into the $160 million range recently. The shoot was originally to take place in Los Angeles, but now Universal and Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean) are trying to "figure out a way to make the film at a more reasonable budget." Some production staff have been let go, and there's 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 says. "We are evaluating whether this is something we want to do. In the meantime, the film is in a holding pattern."
Verbinski and "sources at the studio" say they are determined to make the picture eventually. And as Variety points out, the director did pass on helming a fourth Pirates film in order to make BioShock.
Those same Universal sources also add that this is a similar situation to what happened with the studio's Ridley Scott/Russell Crowe Robin Hood movie, which was delayed partially due to money issues (the budget was eventually lowered to $130 million and the film is now shooting).
"All parties vow that BioShock will not become another Halo, the live action adaptation of the Microsoft game that was going to be turned into a film by [Universal] and Fox until both studios got cold feet and cancelled the deal over budget fears," the trade says.
Variety is reporting that the movie version of the videogame was getting too costly -- the budget is said to have risen into the $160 million range recently. The shoot was originally to take place in Los Angeles, but now Universal and Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean) are trying to "figure out a way to make the film at a more reasonable budget." Some production staff have been let go, and there's 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 says. "We are evaluating whether this is something we want to do. In the meantime, the film is in a holding pattern."
Verbinski and "sources at the studio" say they are determined to make the picture eventually. And as Variety points out, the director did pass on helming a fourth Pirates film in order to make BioShock.
Those same Universal sources also add that this is a similar situation to what happened with the studio's Ridley Scott/Russell Crowe Robin Hood movie, which was delayed partially due to money issues (the budget was eventually lowered to $130 million and the film is now shooting).
"All parties vow that BioShock will not become another Halo, the live action adaptation of the Microsoft game that was going to be turned into a film by [Universal] and Fox until both studios got cold feet and cancelled the deal over budget fears," the trade says.
As a big fan of BioShock, like many of you, I hope that the movie does get finished and released. We'll have to see what happens.
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