Gore Verbinski talks about directing the Bioshock movie

Lots of people in Hollywood have been itching to make a "Bioshock" movie pretty much since last August, as I wrote on here a few months ago.

Finally, that interest has turned to reality. Universal has struck a deal with Take-Two to make the "Bioshock" movie. "Pirates of the Caribbean" helmer Gore Verbinski will direct and produce. "Aviator" and "Star Trek: Nemesis" screenwriter John Logan will adapt.

If you haven't read it yet, get all the details in my story, which runs in tomorrow's Daily Variety and is already online. There are a lot of details there about the financial terms, how it's connected to the "Halo" movie, the key players, how the deal came together, etc., that I won't repeat here. Seriously, just read it.

For Cut Scene readers, however, I have more. Are you wondering how Verbsinski is going to treat your beloved "Bioshock?" Why he wanted to make it into a movie? How much he's collaborating with the game's creative director Ken Levine? I got on the phone with him today to get you guys some answers. Enjoy, and share your thoughts in the comments.

Me: How did this come about? What first got you interested in "Bioshock?"

Gore Verbsinski: I was hanging out a lot with Ken Levine talking about gaming in general and I heard from Ken directly that they were thinking about making a movie.

Of all the games out there, I think "Bioshock" is the one that's the most engaging. I think the whole utopia-gone-wrong story that's cleverly unveiled to players is brimming with cinematic potential.

Me: It's pretty obvious that the game has some amazing visuals that might look great in a movie. What about the story? Do you want to carry that over as well?

GV: Fans of the game will not be disappointed. Of course, it's just like anything else that you adapt. If you create a film from a game you have to break some of the game's rules and do the best job you can, because they're completely different. We can’t possibly put 30 hours of gameplay into a two hour movie. So we have to make some tough choices.

We want to take all the strengths from the property. Of all the games I’ve played, this is the one that I felt has a really strong narrative.

Me: Given all the effects that might might be involved, do you see this movie being as big and epic as "Pirates of the Caribbean?"

GV: I don’t think it'll be on that scale. Of course, with "Bioshock" there are no locations I can go to. We have to build it. We'll cleverly use matte paintings and all the technology we have to achieve a great deal of scale without actually building everything.

It's a much more intimate story than "Pirates." Although its an adventure, it’s a dramatic adventure. I see it more along the lines of "Blade Runner."

Me: You obviously have a relationship with Ken Levine. How involved do you expect him to be with the film?

GV: Right now I'm talking a lot with John Logan about it. But Ken and I speak on a regular basis in terms of what characters we feel are working well and where he feels things should be different in a movie. This is a great asset to pick up the phone and call. He has been very open to it. I look forward to continuing that relationship.

Me: The game has some very disturbing moments that present moral choices to the player in the form of the Little Sisters. How much of that do you want to present in the film?

GV: I think we'll go right up to the edge with the Little Sisters. I don’t want to soften it to the point where the core audience feels betrayed. At the same time, the gameplay is completely different than it will be for an audience watching.

The movie audience’s imagination is a lot more graphic if you let them imagine it. We'll have to be really clever with that.

Me: So given that, do you expect the movie would be rated R just as the game was M?

GV: We're prepared to make it an R-rated movie. I don’t intuitively see it as PG-13. The content and the graphic nature of the story itself is smarter than that. It's not for young kids.

The utopian references and the way the characters and world are drawn in that delightfully inspired Jules Verne and Ayn Rand style places the film in a more elevated realm. It's the realm of a graphic novel. It has to have that edge.

There's sort of that "Manchurian Candidate" psychological element in there as well.

Me: So should we expect to see a lot the same settings from the game?

GV: I hope we can take it to the next level. It's one thing that I think probably will change for the better. But only in the sense that in gameplay, everything's smaller because you have to build it all so players physically do things like ascend stairs. In a film we have time cuts. So we can make the places a little more vast and less claustrophobic

Me: Any thoughts on how you'll make the Big Daddys? Will they be CG created or can you make costumes?

GV: We could go either way. Typically when you get too burdened with animatronics, it slows down filming, especially knowing what we can do these days with computers. That being said, there's no substitute for an actor reacting. It's always a delicate balance. We'll probably end up with a hybrid.

Me: So is this the next project you'll be working on? When do you anticipate starting?

GV: I'll be starting to work on it immediately as soon as we get a script  that's worthy. We'll then move actively into pre-production. I wouldn’t put a time schedule on it so much as to say I'm jumping in with a full commitment.

Me: Will you be talking to the folks developing "Bioshock 2?" Do you see any crossover between the two or are you focused on the first game?

GV: The only crossover will be ensuring that we don’t do anything destructive to the IP.

Me: Since it's a first person game, we don't get to know the protagonist that well in the game. What are your thoughts on the main character of the film?

GV: I think ultimately he has to do with the concept of free will. We will be designing him on that idea. It will be a character who adamantly believes he does have free will.

Me: You recently spoke at D.I.C.E. and seem to be getting very interested in videogames in general. Besides the "Bioshock" film, are you interested in moving the other direction and getting more involved in making games?

GV: I’m continually fascinated with videogames as interactive entertainment: this idea that the audience is the protagonist. I think there is a whole form of narrative ready to be born.

It has been fun talking to different designers, going to Blizzard, meeting Ken. I hope to make it up to Valve. "Portal" is one of my favorites. For now, it's just an open dialogue about how far we can push this thing. 

Comments

[Xtreme Gamer]

Hi,
I agree with corey and it should be implemented.

[Corey Chadwick]

yeah Derek what you said now that could be a good character for the movie.

[Corey Chadwick]

Im thinking if your going to make a video game of bioshock you'd better have a good storyline and hopefully some well known actors hey but thats just what i think it up to them.

[Derek]

How about Edward Norton for the protagonist? He's played an everyman before, and he's clearly capable of presenting the kind of psychosis the character goes through in the game. Hope he's not busy with those dumb Hulk movies...