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Rumor: BioShock Getting a Hollywood Adaptation?

by Alex Billington
January 10, 2008
Source: Joystiq

2K's video game BioShock easily took the second place prize in Joystiq's Top 10 Games of 2007. During its release back in August, it received wide critical acclaim and quickly topped the sales charts. Obviously when a video game with an incredibly immersive environment and unique story does that well, someone in Hollywood will want to snatch it up and make a movie out of it. Joystiq is reporting just that rumor - an undisclosed "major film production company" is already in talks and may have already secured the rights (but that is entirely unconfirmed). If they maintain the atmosphere that the game presents, then this could be pretty awesome.

Joystiq is reporting that a "reliable source within" said production company told them that it's being discussed, but nothing more. The idea is that they'll use green screens to recreate the world of Rapture, a place that anyone who has played the game knows is quite unique. You can definitely feel how well designed the atmosphere is when you're playing it, and that's only part of what made it so great. I get the sense from reading what Joystiq describes, that this could be something like 300 or Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, but set in Rapture. I definitely love that idea for BioShock - sounds perfect to me!

There were discussions of a Gears of War and Halo movie previously, but obviously those two are all over the place at the moment. To be honest, I think IF (and that's a big if) Jerry Bruckheimer's Prince of Persia movie does well, then it will change the precedent for video game movies and we might start seeing Gears of War, Halo, and BioShock turn out the way we all want. But until then, this sort of rumor is so unconfirmed and so far from actually coming together, that it almost means nothing. But it's fun to speculate about!

Explore tags: Movie News, Rumors

Stephen

When I was playing through the game I was thinking it stood a chance of being a pretty good movie, hope it works out.
Nathan

Yet further proof the creative well in Hollywood is running dry. Instead of ripping off video games and Japanese horror movies (I'm looking at you, Sarah Michelle Gellar!), give some young up-and-coming writer a chance! However, I do side with Stephen. The game is excellent, and would lend itself extremely well to an adaptation, moreso than your Resident Evils, Tomb Raiders, Far Cry etc.
Micah

BioShock's story and plot have - in many professional opinions - raised the bar for video game storytelling. Personally, I think that BioShock is a better choice for a film treatment than either Halo or Gears of War due to its focus on the story. While Halo and Gears of War could both be fun action/sci-fi/horror fare, BioShock really has a more evolved storyline than those two. Yes, Hollywood is running dry - and has been for decades - but it's my opinion that stories such as that provided by BioShock is proof that there are plenty of great storytellers still around.