Bioshock

[JackFetch]

Universal and Gore Verbinski are going into "Bioshock."

Studio has signed a deal to turn last year's hit videogame, which won numerous awards and sold more than 2 million units worldwide, into a film.

The "Pirates of the Caribbean" helmer is attached to direct and produce. "Aviator" scribe John Logan is in talks to pen the screenplay.

"Bioshock" publisher Take-Two Interactive is getting a multimillion-dollar advance against gross points on the pic. It's believed to be the biggest videogame-to-movie deal since 2005, when U and Fox signed onto the since aborted "Halo" pic, for which Microsoft got $5 million against 10%.

Take-Two executive chairman Strauss Zelnick said the "state of the art" deal is structured so that "Bioshock" won't end up in turnaround like "Halo," which is back with Microsoft.

"The reason I structured it the way I did is to make sure it gets made," he emphasized.

"Bioshock" takes place in an underwater city based on the free market principles of Ayn Rand, but things have gone disastrously wrong. Players control a pilot who crash-lands at a secret entrance to the city, called Rapture, and is drawn into a power struggle during which he discovers that his will is not as free as he'd thought.

"I think the whole utopia-gone-wrong story that's cleverly unveiled to players is just brimming with cinematic potential," said Verbinski. "Of all the games I've played, this is one that I felt has a really strong narrative."

http://www.variety.com/article/VR111798536...yid=13&cs=1

I never got around to playing this game, but imagine the Big Daddies on the big screen.

[drqshadow]

So much of what was genius about this game was how intensely immersive it was. I can't imagine the player's final conversation with Andrew Ryan translating to the big screen with nearly as much impact as it enjoyed in the game. But I guess every successful franchise simply must have a box office blockbuster taped to its side, so here we go.