Rumor: BioShock movie murmurs in Hollywood

by Ludwig Kietzmann { Jan 8th 2008 at 8:04PM }

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: BioShock

Gallery: BioShock: Breaking the Mold

Tags: 2K, 2K-Boston, BioShock, Ken-Levine, Take-Two

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Rock Her With The Bioshocker @ Feb 17th 2008 3:04PM

There is so much to this story behind the one in the game. You could make a movie about the war between Atlas and Ryan before Jack even comes into the picture. I think with the right cast and director this could be mind-blowing but then again when the last time a videogame movie has been good...

SadPanda @ Mar 15th 2008 10:25PM

orginal movie?
Fight Club

take THAT

Curtis @ Jan 8th 2008 8:09PM

That would be the coolest movie ever.

sifer2400 @ Jan 8th 2008 8:28PM

if made right it could be a very awesome movie indeed

Rufflebutt @ Jan 20th 2008 6:27PM

Yeah, if they make it right. I REALLY hope so.

Worst Review Ever @ Jan 8th 2008 8:16PM

Naw, you guys got it all wrong. It's actually a spin-off porn movie called "BioCock".

playwhutyalike (kinda digs Manhunt 2) @ Jan 8th 2008 8:17PM

"First Person Shooter"

Mr.ESC @ Jan 8th 2008 8:36PM

"Would you kindly suck my ****"

Fatass of Kickassness @ Jan 8th 2008 9:19PM

Shame its only going to appeal to a small audience of people with strange fetishes, what with the 'Big Daddies' and 'Little Sisters' and all...

Ryan @ Jan 8th 2008 11:26PM

Haha, Mr. Esc wins the thread.

playwhutyalike (kinda digs Manhunt 2) @ Jan 8th 2008 8:16PM

Why would they use computer generated backgrounds for a movie based on a video ga.....

Nevermind.

ZapDash @ Jan 8th 2008 8:38PM

It would be good except you know their going to give Jack a wise-cracking talking ADAM slug as a sidekick.

Or a Little Sister becomes the new Short Round.

ZapDash @ Jan 8th 2008 10:59PM

I typed this in a rush and thought I misspelled they're but didn't have time to double check until now.

Slogo @ Jan 8th 2008 8:41PM

I don't think a movie like this would do well. There's not enough story there to translate well to the big screen and many of the coolest portions of the game wouldn't be nearly as good (using plasmids, the harvest/save choice, etc.)

Also the twist in my opinion was only really good because of the way it fit into the context of a video game. It'd still be a good twist but would lack the punch that you had due to the way it was able to be presented in a video game.

Purple Haze @ Jan 8th 2008 8:43PM

"Anybody in hollywood with alot of mony and some starlights. Stay the fuck away."

Thats my very bad quoting skills of what Ken Levine said when asked about if what he thought of making a bioshock movie on the 50th episode of the gamers with jobs conference call. I agree with Ken, no matter how hard people try game movies just never seem to work. Especially first person shooters. We saw how awesome that works in doom.

Bluebrake @ Jan 8th 2008 9:32PM

You're panning an entire genre based on Doom, one of the very first, and very stupidest FPS games? That's like saying comedies can never work because of Norbit.

Purple Haze @ Jan 8th 2008 10:11PM

No I'm saying the scene they had where it was about 5 minutes of watching somebody shoot things in first person. It doesn't work and the fact that you never really see your character in bioshock would screw it up more.

wait in the car @ Jan 9th 2008 12:41AM

Bluebrake, I hope you're not referring to Doom (the gmae) as "stupid" cuz it would break my heart.

Also, I think it's fair to generalize video game movies as extremely sub-par. I have yet to see a good one. It's just a shame Starship Troopers didn't start off as a video game.

Mr.ESC @ Jan 8th 2008 8:44PM

If this project gets the green light I hope is all in CGI.

Hashbrown_Hunter @ Jan 8th 2008 8:51PM

I think it would be best if it were an all CG film. If it were live action, it'd be REALLY tough to pull off.

But I have to admit that BioShock's story would make a very engaging movie experience. Hell, it could break the videogame-movie curse and maybe pick up a couple Oscar's just for its story.

Of course if they screw up the story, I'm gonna harvest their asses.

Mr.ESC @ Jan 8th 2008 9:01PM

"Of course if they screw up the story, I'm gonna harvest their asses".

If? They will screw the story and oh boy how I mean is Hollywood and this is a movie based on a videogame.

mcatrage @ Jan 8th 2008 8:44PM

All the little sisters will be Dakota Fanning and no way in hell will there be any harvesting of ADAM going on.

Count Noobula @ Jan 8th 2008 8:51PM

Tom Hanks as Andrew Ryan. Colin Feral Will be Fontaine/Atlus. And Jack will be.... Edward Norton. All Big Daddies will be played by Anthony Hopkins.

Chris @ Jan 8th 2008 10:32PM

All big daddies will be played by Christopher Walken.

why not the LS2/LS7? @ Jan 8th 2008 8:54PM

It's "cinematic". But so is the Doom movie.

I have no doubt this story is good enough to make a Hollywood movie from. But that still doesn't make it a great story.

You learn to care more about your character in 15 minutes of Portal or 30 minutes of Uncharted than you do in all of Bioshock.

Slayer @ Jan 8th 2008 8:59PM

No good can come from this.

SoulBlade @ Jan 8th 2008 9:26PM

Could be cool, but I don't want this franchise 'tainted' by a bad movie. I love Street Fighter above most other games, but it had garbage for movies - though I loved the 1st anime.

This was a really great game, and I don't want it ruined. Gamers have really high standards for movies based off games, so they better do it right.

bigsofty @ Jan 8th 2008 9:39PM

Beautiful game, a sublime, if rather short experience that reassures my faith in the video game as an art form.

Bluebrake @ Jan 8th 2008 9:40PM

"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."

I've never really bought this theory about video game elements not working in movies. I mean, obviously it's a bad idea with certain things (like Mortal Kombat and Super Mario) but if the game's story, atmosphere, etc. all stand on their own, there's no reason not to use them. Who doesn't agree, for instance, that Final Fantasy: TSW wouldn't have been a better movie if it had used a real "Final Fantasy" story with an original world, a creative art style, and over-the-top action rather than being a fairly generic hardcore sci-fi pic?

maylon @ Jan 8th 2008 9:57PM

Just leave it alone Hollywood, for the love of pete.

playwhutyalike (kinda digs Manhunt 2) @ Jan 8th 2008 10:18PM

You forget that Hollywood is a whore, whose salty, stale vagina sucks up most great concepts and births them into hideous lame abominations.

Squirrel3D @ Jan 8th 2008 11:14PM

Yeah, and do the same with anime for goodness sake. *coughdragonballzcough*

Benjamin Heckendorn @ Jan 8th 2008 10:03PM

For pete's sake Hollywood, how about an ORIGINAL IDEA for a change? They simply won't stop until every comic book, video game and Scholastic Weekly Reader book is made into a movie.

Of course having an original idea is an original idea, so it's a self-defeating concept.

UG.

Kspraydad @ Jan 8th 2008 10:37PM

Bioshock itself is not an original idea (it is derivative) and gaming in general is lacking in originality.

Why would movies be different?

TheQFactor @ Jan 8th 2008 10:22PM

So, will the movie have zero replayability also? :P

kilodelta @ Jan 8th 2008 10:43PM

can someone important in the gaming industry just come out and tell hollywood to fuck off?

it is IMPOSSIBLE to make a good videogame movie. a lot have been tried and they have all sucked balls.

seriously.

Dan CiTi @ Jan 8th 2008 10:44PM

If this was done correctly and honorably, it would be a fantastic movie. Oh god I can almost see it now. I wonder what the ending would be?

why not the LS2/LS7? @ Jan 9th 2008 12:53AM

Whatever the end is, you can be sure it wouldn't be a real end, because if it made any money at all they'd want to line up endless sequels.

wait in the car @ Jan 9th 2008 12:43AM

All Big Daddies will be played by computer graphics.

comanderlink @ Jan 9th 2008 12:54AM

I don't care what everyone has said, I want a Bioshock movie without CG.

Maybe I'm just wearing my rose tinted glasses again, but I love the tactile feel of older movies without CG generated sets. I just love looking at the props and architecture and marveling at how much detail and time went into crafting them. Just thinking about how they could construct Bioshock's leaking, art deco city gives me the goosebumps. And the lighting situations that a good cinematographer could come up with..

Don't get me wrong, I don't think movies that depend on CG are bad. It would be extremely unfortunate if I did, considering that I'm trying to study to become a 3D animator to work in movies. However, sometimes I do think CG is abused a little by filmmakers. Although in their defense, who wouldn't use a technology that allow you to make huge elaborate sets at minimal costs as much as possible.

Maybe I'm pursuing the wrong career choice. God do I miss those Jim Henson puppets. Just thinking about a lifescale Big Daddy puppet makes me drool...

comanderlink @ Jan 9th 2008 1:01AM

Oh and to all the people complaining about Hollywood not having any "original" ideas"

If you really want to blame someone for the load of crap produced each year, blame moviegoers like yourselves. You pay the money to see the crap.

Nicholas Muldoon @ Jan 10th 2008 1:58PM

with the right director this could be fantastic, perhaps Alfonso Cauron, David Fincher,Chan-Wook Park and a cast of great actors, perhaps Daniel Day-Lewis as Andrew Ryan, I liked whoever's pick of Ed Norton in the lead, or maybe Christian Bale or Ewan McGregor would be good too. Maybe Jeff Brolin as Atlas. Possibly Cate Blanchett as Tenenbaum. I think that'd be fantastic

jaybcorreia @ Jan 9th 2008 1:42AM

about games turning into movies wouldn't it be a different scenario if like mortal kombat or street fighter was made now where the effects are far more superior then it was back then. and a little help on the writing side but still. but Hollywood is also an arrogant SOB just look at the strike bcuz they don't want to pay what is pennys to comparison of what they get in revenues they are willing to let hundreds of ppl have no jobs. only a matter of time until that hits the game industry mainstream keyword mainstream

B1gC72 @ Jan 9th 2008 1:51AM

i just wish people would leave good things alone. now ive never played the game, but i hear it's dammed good. now some hollywood guy is going to notice that and make some piece of crap movie based on it just to cash in on the popularity. i just cant think of any video game movies off the top of my head that were any better than average. it just wreaks of bad idea to me.

ogvor @ Jan 9th 2008 2:20AM

First the Gears of War movie and now Bioshock might be filmed nearly complety on green screens? Am I the only one who hated 300 (and Sky Captain and the World of Tommorrow) becuase of the awful looking CGI every where? What the point of turning a video game into a movie if it's just going to be all CGI? Practical effects will look better than CGI for at least the next 10 years, and CGI crap just takes me out of the experience of a movie. Plus I thought the best aspect of BioShock's story was that it SPOILER angered the player by actually taking away their free will and pointing out how mallable they were.

If it's made right, the games amazing atmosphere and scenery will have a lot of people saying "this was a video game first?" which can only be good for the industry. I just hope it's not agiant cut scene.

ThornedVenom @ Jan 9th 2008 4:30AM

"If it's made right, the games amazing atmosphere and scenery will have a lot of people saying "this was a video game first?" which can only be good for the industry. I just hope it's not agiant cut scene."

I hope so too. Informative description just to justify the action and to create fillers = bad. Vital role of discovery, shifts in power balance, engaging narrative = good.

DevinR127 @ Mar 30th 2008 9:51AM

In response to your question about 300: yes, people who didn't like that movie are a lonely breed.

DevinR127 @ Mar 30th 2008 10:03AM

Also, I agree with what you said about the possibility of making this a movie that will have people asking: "this was a video game first?" It's better than taking a "franchise" like Hitman and trying to turn it into a movie version of the video game. Hitman actually resembled a Bourne movie in places, which was to it's credit... but sooner or later "video game moments" would find their way into the equation and make me gag, roll my eyes, and caused my soul to scream in agony. BioShock has hope because instead of taking a game series that has been years in the making and putting all the familiar elements into a movie that producers shamelessly market to fans of the game this particular film was conceived, in principle, by people playing the game, taking a step back, and saying "Wow, this game is both artistic and theatrical." This game came from someone's mind, but before making it's way onto a gaming platform, it passed through several works of classical existential literature. Writers and directors need to figure out the thematic literary content that they want to convey in a film based on Bioshock, in order to give it the purpose and meaning; this will advance the quality of whatever film they make by leaps and bounds. Secondly, they should go through the game piece by piece and determine exactly what aspects of the game make it "cinematic," for example, avoiding the pitfall of turning the splicers into an army of 'zombies' is crucial to perpetuating the dramatic tension that ran throughout the game. The enemy cannot be some 'virus' that 'zombifies' individuals, it has to be clear that they willingly spliced and that the antagonist is all too human. Everything that made the game more than just a first person shooter with an emphasis on exploration should be made obvious. The idea of choices, and the divergent paths such choices lead us on, the tragedy of the commons, and the destructive force of greed on logic and wisdom should be felt by the viewer the way it was felt by the player. Flashbacks based on the journal entries should be an intricate part of the story. Men like Mcdough and Sullivan should be juxtaposed to men like Steinman and Cohen. Ryan and Fontaine's civil war, as well as the Atlas/Fontaine double cross should be the foundations of the thematic development of the story. One of the most important parts of production will be translating the first-person perspective of the game into a third-person perspective; I would even consider having two protagonists, one with a tragic downfall, the other with an uplifting story of redemption, but they must both be portrayed as equals in the beginning, this would be of paramount importance to such a story (think: Cain and Abel)(I think Josh Hartnett, or maybe, MAYBE Christian Bale would make good candidates). And of course, the Little Sisters and the Big Daddies need to be intelligently integrated into the story, the idea of Big Daddies transforming from enemies to friends as the story progresses would be an intriguing plot twist that would not be lost on the General Audience. A lot needs to be done, but I imagine making such a movie work, or even making it good, would be within the realm of possibilities, so long as it's not shot in first person =). It would certainly be easier than trying to make a good movie out of the game: Silent Hill (seriously, what were those people thinking).