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.
Chris Morris reports on the business and culture of video games and offers analysis of recent events and industry trends.
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Posted by: idk | February 04, 2009 at 03:00 PM
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Posted by: mike | January 29, 2009 at 07:46 PM
hope they have the audio journels and please be not so r-rated to the point of looking phoney I hate movies that go over the top on gore.
Posted by: Edward | January 19, 2009 at 05:12 PM
I think bioshock should be destroyed by a movie. It's the fact that it's based on your choices and your mistakes because watching wouldn't do the game any good
Posted by: Ratchet at war | December 26, 2008 at 10:25 PM
i think that a film of bioshock is going to be exelent and at least now people who i know(adults mainly) who don't appreciate games that much can see how cool it really is.
i see first person games as, films where YOU are acting/playing the part how YOU want and thats what most people don't understand about games and so hence i hope this will make them open their eyes and see how cool games are.
i hope the story line will change a bit but i don't think they should make the story line too difficult to understand either. Gore Verbinski should do a good job anyway (i put my faith in him).
it needs to keep the old, whethered, crumbling and really really amazing look.
good luck.
Posted by: Daniel Jackson | November 06, 2008 at 11:21 AM
I think you should add a lot of blood and gore like the main character watching someone fight a big daddy then seeing how strong they are try to conquer one himself by studying them cuz then it goes into sort of and adventurous perspective as you watch everything advance. and yes you do see the character from bioshock its in the menu where it says press start just let it go idle for a while well that's how it is on 360. and i go with Jackie's telling you guys not to host it on the ps3 i know you will anyway for the profit margin and probably minor differentiated gameplay but dont try to add on to the graphics and improve upon it to the ps3 cuz that will leave alot of bioshock fans with the 360 and pc yes as jackie said betrayed and you probably don't want that do ya buddie =).email-ilovecheese117@hotmail.com hey email me your ideas or anything about bioshock basically i'm a diehard fan and i would have got 1000/1000 gamerscore from it but behind my back my little brother sold it and bought rattatouie i know wtf ey but he said shutup it's not your game oh welly though i guess i'll go get a new one but i'm still pissed off for the fact that he sold it to gamecrazy for like 10 bucks.
Posted by: Alex Gallegos | October 01, 2008 at 07:37 AM
Yeah, Edward Norton rules! Hes the right man for that!
Posted by: Jackie | September 20, 2008 at 03:08 AM
please! dont make bioshock for ps3! it sould stay on xbox 360!
exclusive content is very unfair, alot of bioshock fans that have xbox 360 and/or pc will be very disapointed. no one wants bioshock on ps3! please cancel it! oh yea! about the movie. i hope it kicks ass!
Posted by: cookie | September 08, 2008 at 06:22 PM
sander cohen sould be played by jim carrey! i think it would be a perfect role. the big daddys sould be cgi animation. i dont care which actor will play as jack, at least it doesnt show his face in the movie, because it never shows jacks face in the game. would you kindly not screw this up?
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Posted by: ALSK;DF | September 06, 2008 at 04:54 PM
i think that the movie should use unknown actors because famous actors tend to detract from the story.
to make you really believe it the actors have to be unknown.
Posted by: liam | August 11, 2008 at 03:03 PM
Edward Norton wouldn't be good for this movie, I like edward norton because he is good drama charcter, not really a say-nothin kind of actor. I would say Rupert Evans would be a good Jack.
Posted by: Jared | July 28, 2008 at 10:06 PM
I like the opinions from gv so far. what about radio messages? is jack not going to be the only one left in rapture.
Posted by: DASLynx | May 26, 2008 at 12:09 PM
Bioshock was a masterpeice in every aspect of the game.
Bioshock in itself, was really and interactive movie so I really hope they do it justice
Posted by: Igged | May 19, 2008 at 07:05 AM
Hi,
I agree with corey and it should be implemented.
Posted by: Xtreme Gamer | May 12, 2008 at 12:52 AM
yeah Derek what you said now that could be a good character for the movie.
Posted by: Corey Chadwick | May 09, 2008 at 03:17 PM
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.
Posted by: Corey Chadwick | May 09, 2008 at 03:13 PM
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...
Posted by: Derek | May 08, 2008 at 08:07 PM