Posted in: Movies | Tagged: bioshock, Universal Pictures

It's About Time We Recieved That "BioShock" Movie

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2019 18:15:59 -0600

With established franchises falling short at the box office and new original ideas struggling to land an audience, it seems like it's about time to pull from other pre-existing properties. Anime has been one new source for live-action, but there's still plenty of content in video games as well — which could be expressed through the potential BioShock movie we've been waiting for.

Plenty of time has passed

BioShock was initially released in 2007, and with three games and more than a decade of existence behind the title. It was soon after in discussion to become a film, but certain creative choices and production decisions helped it become a shelved project that seemed to be stuck in production hell.

Now that so much time has passed, it feels like something entirely new to filmgoers, but also gives fans of the video game a dose of nostalgia and the excitement that comes with it. With talks of another BioShock game on the way, this could be a great time to capitalize on the pre-existing success of the franchise and deliver a film that would be unlike anything we've seen before.

The evolution of special effects

When BioShock was first in talks to become a movie, one concern that plagued the process was the large budget. The film would have been said to require $200 million to create the underwater city, which is a major commitment from any studio.

There had been a push for an $80 million budget, but ultimately director Gore Verbinski had a particular vision in mind, and cutting the budget by more than half of the discussed amount wasn't something he was interested in. Universal then sought out another director, but the project quickly fell through after the drastic changes made Verbinski lose confidence in a BioShock movie.

Since it was last discussed, special effects have achieved new heights with the several films pushing boundaries on vivid worlds. For example, Marvel films have only blossomed over the course of the decade, or films like James Cameron's Alita have helped utilize new methods that required an inventive new approach. While it would have been difficult to create back then with a $200 million budget, there's a great chance that BioShock post-2020 will have so much more to offer visually.

An 'R' rating is appropriate

When BioShock was actively in development, another component that made Universal nervous was the needed 'R' rating to tell its story. The studio most likely hoped to make this something that was accessible to audiences of all ages with BioShock, as many gamers fall in a younger-skewing demographic.

If you look at the story of BioShock, the brutality and devastation of the fractured underwater city could only be depicted for mature viewers. Typically, PG-13 films would earn more financially, but there has been a shift that embraces 'R' ratings for big-budget films. Horror is one example often discussed, or even the widely successful Deadpool, and upcoming Birds of Prey film.

Though the genres are different, these are films typically used to target younger audiences but have still found exciting buzz for taking a different path. There's beginning to be a shift that caters to the over 18 moviegoers, and what was once a hangup could now be an asset in the potential for a live-action BioShock.

There hasn't been any discussion about BioShock in quite some time, but don't you think that maybe now is the perfect time to return to the city of Rapture?

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