Universal Pictures Puts BioShock Movie on Hold

The movie and video title industry are becoming more and more intertwined, as we see a lot of films getting video game tie-ins, ready to launch just as the flick enters movie theaters and more and more video titles getting the movie treatment in order to generate more profit for all of the companies involved.

One of biggest projects currently involving video games is Universal Pictures' BioShock adaptation, which wants to capture 2K Boston's magnum opus and reflect it onto the silver screen. But while progress has been made, it seems that the whole project is now on hold because of the budget exceeding the margin set by Universal executives, somewhere around 160 million dollars.

The movie is reported to still be in pre-production stage, but it has already been halted and some of the key production staff has been let go. Gore Verbinski, the director of the film, has now revealed that the executives at Universal have asked him to explore more cost-efficient ways of making the movie, in hopes that the money will be enough.

“We were asked by Universal to move the film outside the U.S. to take advantage of a tax credit,” Verbinski says. “We are evaluating whether this is something we want to do. In the meantime, the film is in a holding pattern.”

Verbinski has also vowed that the team on board the project is dedicated 100 percent, he himself turning down the opportunity of directing the fourth installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise in order to work on this big screen adaptation of BioShock.

Hopefully, the smaller budget won't mean that the team will cut back on the quality of the future film, and that the video game will get a decent movie treatment worthy of its fame.