Adaptations of video games have become increasingly common in recent years. A-list actors are joining the cast of the forthcoming Borderlands film, the Mortal Kombat trailer sent the internet into a frenzy, and a new season of Netflix’s The Witcher, starring Henry Cavill, is set to premiere. Also properties that are only related to video games, such as Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons & Dragons, are getting their own film and television adaptations, with major names including Chris Pine and the Russo Brothers attached.
The BioShock series is one franchise that many gamers have speculated would be a good fit for a big screen adaptation. BioShock brings players to the underwater city of Rapture in the first two games, and then to the airborne city of Columbia in the third. For its imaginative worldbuilding, gripping plot, and mature exploration of complex themes, the series received widespread acclaim and awards. With so many interesting elements, BioShock fans have long wondered if the game’s environment could be adapted into a film.
Dedicated fans, on the other hand, may recall that Universal Pictures considered adapting BioShock in 2009, only to abandon the idea until the full scope of the project became apparent. The costs and size of producing a BioShock film, according to director Gore Verbinski, may have doomed the project before it even began. Here’s why Gore Verbinski believes a BioShock sequel would never be made.
A movie based on the BioShock franchise was planned for the late 2000s. Gore Verbinski and Ken Levine wanted to honor the game’s complex themes and dark tones. However, the price of producing the film, and the difficulty of making an R-rated film, deterred Universal Studios. Nearly a decade has passed since the release of BioShock: Infinite, the likelihood of a movie seems lower than ever. The upcoming BioShock 4 might restart the conversation. The next game in the franchise will be released in September 2014, and is expected to be rated PG-13. The last BioShock film was Watchmen, which opened to low box office figures and struggled to recoup its costs. It may have made Universal Pictures rethink its willingness to greenlight a film that would only be accessible to older audiences.
BioShock 4 has been announced as the first project by new studio Cloud Chamber. The game is expected to be released in late 2019. Previous titles in the series have taken a long time to develop. It’s possible we can expect a 2023 release date. If a “leak” is to be believed, characters like the Lutece twins could return to the game. The series has sold over 33 million copies since BioShock 2 in 2001. We’ll update you here with the latest BioShock news as soon as it comes to light as it is confirmed. The full report will appear on CNN at 10 p.m. ET on Thursday, September 6. The story behind BioShock 4 will be revealed at 10pm ET on September 6 at 10:30pm ET via 4chan.
No details are currently known about what BioShock 4 will be about. The head of Cloud Chamber Studio revealed that this new title will not be affiliated with BioShock creator Ken Levine. This opens up the possibility of a return to Rapture, like we saw in BioShock 2. The codename “Parkside” could suggest that we’ll see some familiar characters from previous BioShock games on land for the first time, but for now, we’re just left to speculate. Kelley Gilmore, the head ofCloud Chamber Studio, revealed that the new game will be called BioShock: The Next Generation. The next installment in the BioShock franchise is expected to be released in 2014, with no release date announced yet.
