Universal Pictures' silver-screen adaptation of Take-Two's BioShock has been put on hold according to Variety for budgetary reasons. The report details how production of the movie, which is to be directed by Gore Verbinski ("Pirates of the Caribbean"), has been slowed in order to find a way to trim back the cost of production. One of the ways to bring the cost of the $160 million project down is apparently to shoot in London.
Studio sources said that the budget simply became untenable, but U sources said the situation is no different than when the studio delayed the start of the untitled Robin Hood pic that Ridley Scott is now directing with Russell Crowe starring.

U is making that picture for $130 million, a much smaller budget than in its first incarnation. For a number of reasons that included the need for extra script work, that picture temporarily halted, which enabled Crowe to star in "State of Play" when Brad Pitt fell out.
Universal is saying that it does not want the BioShock film to suffer the same fate as the live-action Halo movie, which was cancelled over budget fears.

Think the Little Sister and her Mr. Bubbles will ever hit the big screen?



Bryn says: I smell failure. Although the studio is saying it doesn't want the project to get cancelled, it's not a very good sign at this stage of development, is it? The economic strife currently plaguing the world might just be the nail in BioShock's coffin.

I'm going to try and remain optimistic about this but honestly, I'm not holding my breath. Shame -- out of all the game-to-movie deals out there, this one actually held some interest for me. Oh well, at least we'll still get to play BioShock 2.