The BioShock film news gets a bit worse with news that Gore Verbinski may not direct it even if the budget becomes manageable with overseas shooting. He spoke to the Los Angeles Times and gave them the following:
The bottom line is it has to shoot out of the States for budget reasons and my schedule may be prohibitive. There’s a great script and a really interesting cast. It really comes down to the financial model now. Big movies are just not being shot in the States. I’m weighing whether I can physically go the U.K. or Australia or one of those other places with a tax rebate for a year-and-a-half.
I’d definitely be intrigued to know which actors are attached. I’d be fearful of the directors typically called upon to swoop in and pick up a tentpole from being scrapped, and I suspect Verbinski would do a fine job on this one anyway, so hopefully his concerns can be ironed out.
Even though District 9 isn’t even out yet, I’d nominate Neill Blomkamp as a smart replacement. He certainly knows how to shoot for special effects on a budget.
In tangential news, BioShock 2 arrives on November 3rd for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC platforms.
