As many fans of the videogame franchise know, news of a BioShock film has kept us all in suspense since word of it first surfaced nearly a year ago. Initially, Universal greenlit the pic and had Pirates of the Caribbean franchise director Gore Verbinski attached to the project. Sadly, Verbinski had to leave the film due to scheduling conflicts, but not before the film’s budget had ballooned to $160 Million — which may be another reason for his departure.
Now, word comes from Slash FIlm that Universal has found a replacement for Verbinski: writer/director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, who’s last film was the decently successful 28 Weeks Later. Set in an alternative history 1960, BioShock follows the story of a plane crash survivor named Jack, who must explore the underwater city of Rapture, and survive attacks by the mutated beings and mechanical drones that populate it.
Jack is drawn into a power struggle during which he discovers that his will may not be as free as he thinks it is. With Fresnadillo stepping in to fill the rather big shoes of Gore Verbinski, you have to wonder if Universal is so hot on a BioShock film these days. He certainly doesn’t have the track record of Verbinski with big tent-pole films plus the budget and schedule are reportedly being cut. That’s not always an indicator of anything, especially the end product, but it doesn’t seem to bode well.
