BioShock movie, trilogy plans surface

Take-Two reveals in post-earnings call that Verbinski-helmed film is more likely to coincide with third installment in acclaimed dystopian shooter franchise.

It was a short three months ago that Take-Two Interactive chairman Strauss Zelnick officially revealed the second installment in 2K Boston's Ayn Rand-inspired undersea dystopian shooter franchise BioShock. As noted at that time by Zelnick during a post-earnings conference call with investors and analysts, Take-Two's newly formed 2K Marin studio would take the reins from Ken Levine's 2K Boston outfit for the follow-up to the award-winning shooter.

Three months on, and Zelnick is once again talking BioShock. In a conference call following the publisher's GTAIV-bolstered fiscal second quarter financial report, Zelnick teased the existence of a third installment in the acclaimed franchise. In response to a question concerning the Gore Verbinski-helmed theatrical release of BioShock, Zelnick said that the movie's release is more likely to fall in proximity to BioShock 3, rather than BioShock 2.

"It's unlikely that the picture would be released to coincide with BioShock 2," said Zelnick. "It would be more likely that it would be released coincidentally with BioShock 3. That also remains to be seen."

Exact time frames, he noted, have yet to be hammered out, however. BioShock 2 is due out sometime during the August-October quarter of 2009, and platforms for the title have not yet been confirmed. In the wake of impressive sales last October, Zelnick said BioShock was "a very important franchise" for Take-Two and that "roughly an every-three-year [release] schedule would be optimal" for new installments.

In early May, Take-Two announced that it had signed on Pirates of the Caribbean director Gore Verbinski to direct the film adaptation of BioShock and that Academy Award-nominated writer John Logan (Aviator, The Time Machine) was in talks with Universal Studios to pen the screenplay. Further details--such as an anticipated release window or casting decisions--were not revealed at that time.

154 Comments

  • sion1

    Posted Mar 8, 2009 3:21 am PT

    i dont want them to ruin this series of amazing games Cross Ur fingers it doesn't suck!

  • TehEliteElite

    Posted Mar 6, 2009 7:32 pm PT

    amoores, I would love for this movie to be great. But the likelihood of that happening is so small that if it does happen, I'll eat my hat.

  • amoores

    Posted Nov 22, 2008 11:31 am PT

    I can see this film being so incredibly great. Just look at the people behind it. The director of pirates of the caribbean. The writer of gladiator. The only thing is the actors, which considering the well written plot of bioshock, it should attract some pretty decent actors. Also in terms of gore and upsetting fans gore verbinski says this. "he believes the movie will be rated "R" and says, in terms of the Little Sisters, that he'll take the issue "right up to the edge," not wanting the core audience to feel "betrayed." Im pretty damn sure this is gonna be one of hell of a film

  • ElderGamer1

    Posted Nov 19, 2008 1:20 pm PT

    Everytime I stop by Gamespot I always look at the Bioshock page to see if a sequal would appear. Your game engine and the (Character Graphics were so real looking, your storyline left me in tears-in my case - JOY!) Bioshock is now a Classic! In Bethesda's (Fall-Out 3) which I do love - You had the visual-control of weaponry perfected with Bioshock! Both you and Bethesda should team up for 1 RPG FPS and you could rule this platform! I am so happy a sequal is comming out and I hope that passion you has for Bioshock is with you! The wait is gonna kill me!

  • Blood_Diamond

    Posted Nov 5, 2008 8:23 am PT

    I would like to know if it is set in rapture... because rapture isn't shown in the trailer plus i don't remember sky scrapers that big in rapture the first time through

  • WouldYou-Kindly

    Posted Oct 30, 2008 8:49 pm PT

    Gore is a great director. Though it could have easily been the Cohen Bros., I'm happy with the choise anyway.

  • ballzonfire00

    Posted Oct 26, 2008 2:07 am PT

    director of pirates of caribbean?? WOW. it sure is gonna be a big hit for sure. i hope the movie is gonna be as gud as the game

  • snake2215449

    Posted Oct 24, 2008 9:02 am PT

    BIOSHOCK MOVIE?! Probably gonna be like Resident Evil I'm sure.

  • majidok

    Posted Oct 24, 2008 5:12 am PT

    Aah great

  • Ghostly_Knight

    Posted Oct 23, 2008 10:44 pm PT

    Take-Two signed on Gore Verbinski to direct the film and got John Logan to write screenplay, all of which is going to take place in Bioshock. I can see this film being one of the best, if not the best, films made from a video game. Glad to hear Take-Two is doing well because they have done such a great job with the Bioshock games thus far.

  • dragonbattousai

    Posted Oct 23, 2008 3:49 pm PT

    I can't wait to play more scary, sinister, puzzle solving, trap setting, Rapture Crawling Adventures

  • Akivaria

    Posted Sep 1, 2008 11:38 am PT

    I would like to see a prequel as well. Ever since first stepping into Rapture and seeing all the "Rapture is Dead" placards, and all of the outbound subs cancelled, I've thought it would be fun to have to escape the initial fall of Rapture.

    What fun would that be in a game?

  • HD360gamer

    Posted Aug 30, 2008 11:23 am PT

    bioshock 2 is almost definitely going to be a prequel. however an idea of mine besides a prequel would be to do a story arch following an actual big daddy.

  • brhisawsome

    Posted Aug 21, 2008 7:02 pm PT

    im so excited to see what bioshock 2 is gonna be (and become)

  • CFitzzz

    Posted Aug 15, 2008 2:46 pm PT

    I hope the movie is good, not a failure like Doom.

  • spikepigeo

    Posted Aug 5, 2008 2:29 pm PT

    You guys...the movie is gonna rock. Its gore verbinski! It wll be an amazing movie if they stick to the original script and Gore does what he does best, make good movies. As for the sequel...im not so sure, there was too much closure in Bioshock to warrant a sequel in my opinion.

  • FunkinX posted Aug 1, 2008 8:00 am PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    FunkinX

    Posted Aug 1, 2008 8:00 am PT (hide)

    And so it begins. They're simply going to milk it until it becomes bland and derivative and everybody is completely sick of it.

    Bioshock The Animated Series
    Bioshock VS System Shock
    Bioshock 3: Now With Vehicles!
    Bioshock 4: Big Momma

    e.t.c......

  • Neosword

    Posted Jun 25, 2008 9:43 am PT

    movie aside, the games better be at least as good as the first. I hate to see a series go downhill after an amazing first release.

  • it009x9281

    Posted Jun 17, 2008 8:13 pm PT

    cant wait!!!

  • Gaaragamer13

    Posted Jun 17, 2008 3:10 pm PT

    cool

  • Champ721

    Posted Jun 12, 2008 4:19 pm PT

    This would be awesome if they did it right and actually made it based off the plot of the games. But we ARE talking about Hollywood here (who've already ruined so many scripts), so I expect the plot to be butchered and the movie to suck. It's a sad thing.

  • JJB03

    Posted Jun 12, 2008 7:28 am PT

    there are alot of really bad films based on games but maybe and hopefully this title will change the way we see film based on games....i wonder where the sequalsfor the bioshock games are goin tho i thought there would,nt be a sequal with the way things came there didnt seem to be any need for a sequal i mean the game was really good and diffrent from other games hopefully they will add a multiplayer mode nxt time round cos the combat system was kick ass

  • Pablo_Diner posted Jun 11, 2008 6:00 pm PT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    Pablo_Diner

    Posted Jun 11, 2008 6:00 pm PT (hide)

    they should toss out the whole bioshock idea and pen a script for an adaptation of Mass Effect. taht would be a way more interesting movie, and not to just fans of the game.

  • hiimfletcher

    Posted Jun 11, 2008 12:56 pm PT

    Ranteal, what r u talking about saying that there shouldn't be a gears movie because we've already seen alien? that makes absolutely no sense and the two story lines have nothing in common....the locust aren't aliens, they are creatures from that planet who eventually emerged on the humans....if anything a halo movie would have something similar with Alien because the Covenant and Flood are aliens....not really sure where you were going in that one.....but a Bioshock movie with Verbinski would be pretty ill I think, he impressed me with Pirates of the Caribbean from a directing standpoint so i think it would be pretty good

  • Crapperson

    Posted Jun 11, 2008 11:28 am PT

    Personally... I didn't like Bioshock. I beat it, and found it relatively boring. That's just me, however. It did have a different storyline than most video games, but I think because it's usually third-rate directors that make these video game movies (Doom, Resident Evil, Far Cry, and more), they should not be ruined by the silver screen. I mean, how many good video game movies have there been? I can count them on less than one finger. Even Silent Hill, a pretty decent movie, wasn't anything like the game.
    I found it extremely disappointing when I saw one of my favorite FPS, Doom, turn into something completely sci-fi than demonic. I mean, it had potential to be scary! Really, really scary!
    As for movie games, I think I've seen enough Star Wars to last me a lifetime...
    I don't know, maybe a Bioshock movie is just what we need right now. I hope the best for it.

  • lewis2112

    Posted Jun 11, 2008 9:09 am PT

    there gonna have to do this properly, granted verbinski is the man for the job but this is pretty demanding. I think a good choice would be a cloverfield approach and only hire unknown actors to prevet it being overshadowed

  • CptObvious1031

    Posted Jun 11, 2008 7:17 am PT

    Gore Verbinski to direct...well that may be something to fork out the current price of actually going to the theater. What is it now...1/2 your soul or something like that?

  • KaH-LenS

    Posted Jun 11, 2008 7:00 am PT

    A movie about Bioshock could be great, knowing that Verbinski doing it, has long has they stick to the main story ( Remember Alice from the Resident Evil Trilogy, who the f*** is that ?? ) everything is gonna be allright I think. .

  • CVM_123

    Posted Jun 10, 2008 9:57 pm PT

    the game is awesome but making a movie of this game will be awful

  • starwars0000

    Posted Jun 10, 2008 2:09 pm PT

    If this sucks, Verbinski won't be the only gore you'll be seeing

  • walmsley88

    Posted Jun 10, 2008 9:02 am PT

    no no nooooo. verbinskys great, im sure...for action movies and star studded flights of fantasy. but for bioshock i always imagined (just like the game) that itd be dark and gritty and atmospheric, and that theyd get someone who appreciated those tones like Fincher etc.. remember that in-game video/trailer thing? the one where the big daddy drills your hand etc...really good graphic one...i imagined it to be like that. i just feel like if verbinsky does it its gunna be all 'Hollywoody' and big and bright and expensive with big explosions. i dunno, im not sold yet

  • jorgepimp321

    Posted Jun 10, 2008 6:35 am PT

    when are they going to fix the sound card issue on the first one?

  • adamias13

    Posted Jun 9, 2008 7:30 pm PT

    you know this is the first game based movie im extremely excited about its got a great writer and director so far so good

  • SirFrosty

    Posted Jun 9, 2008 5:05 pm PT

    Woo, I'm very excited about all of it ^_^ I really think the movie can be made very well, with good hands behind it, and a 3rd BioShock game just gives me more to play ^_^

  • biagio55

    Posted Jun 9, 2008 1:16 pm PT

    ranteal stop typing up crap

  • Hydrolix

    Posted Jun 8, 2008 9:03 pm PT

    I thought the idea of a movie was great...this is a perfect IP for a film....that is until I just read that hack Gore Verbinski will be directing and even worse John Logan writing.....The Time Machine is the biggest piece of crap I have ever seen and while this may be unpopular I think the Pirates of the Carribean movies are horrible too. Especially the last two.

  • Dryker

    Posted Jun 8, 2008 6:00 pm PT

    Uhm, to quote many, "If they want to make the movie good they have to do everything good."

  • thenephariouson

    Posted Jun 8, 2008 11:26 am PT

    Bioshock trilogy = Horay!
    Bioshock Movie = Boooh!!!

    : )

  • ACES_of_CRIME

    Posted Jun 8, 2008 11:20 am PT

    If they are going to make a good movie they have to focus on different aspects. Bioshock needs good actors to make the story immense, top notch special effects, good writers since the story is incredible and good action and music.

  • combatsoldier

    Posted Jun 8, 2008 11:15 am PT

    uummm..... this has the potential to be great like mad max but more often then not games that are turned into movies and vice versa normally are horrible. I just hope they dont mess this up and turn this into a blockbuster we will talk about for many years.

  • jdiego82

    Posted Jun 8, 2008 5:53 am PT

    Let's just hope that the movie will be as good as the game, if not better...

  • d3f1anc3

    Posted Jun 8, 2008 4:03 am PT

    lol, BioShock 3 and a movie... lets not get ahead of ourselves.

  • Ranteal

    Posted Jun 8, 2008 12:15 am PT

    Lets be honest, Bioshock was easily the best story a videogame has had in along time. It was original, it had a mood that was matched by no other, and the gameplay was fantastic. If any game deserves to be a movie,its Bioshock, and that includes Gears of War(I've already seen Alien) Resident Evil(lets not go there) and Halo(The story has to be interesting,not just good gameplay and a online). I just hope they get enough money to make the movie half way decent.

  • Zloth2

    Posted Jun 7, 2008 10:17 pm PT

    *What is Take2 thinking?!*

    Same thing Hollywood thinks when they make a sequel - money! BioShock has a lot of name recognition and, if BioShock2 does well, still will when the movie comes out. That's a much safer bet than sinking millions of dollars into something that may or may not work well.

    By the way, BioShock is the "spiritual" sequal to the two System Shock games. It's already a franchise to some extent.

  • gbrading Site moderator

    Posted Jun 7, 2008 7:13 pm PT

    I am happy about sequels to BioShock, if proper care is taken with them they should be good. However, I am very concerned about the idea of a BioShock film, because I really don't know how good a transistion could be made to the big screen. I suppose we will have to wait and see.

  • Hekynn

    Posted Jun 7, 2008 2:53 pm PT

    Now thats kewl I like Bioshock

  • Ranteal

    Posted Jun 7, 2008 1:52 pm PT

    @edgewalker16 Not talking, Im typing, and speaking of(Im sorry typing of)

    coming this fall
    bioshock
    starring Bob Barker and Marilyn Manson

  • edgewalker16

    Posted Jun 7, 2008 12:24 pm PT

    @ Ranteal:

    Your an idiot. Stop talking.

  • peeweeshift

    Posted Jun 7, 2008 7:56 am PT

    only a short while till ps3 bioshock 2 is announced

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