‘Bioshock’ Movie Canceled: Kevin Levine Explains

The Bioshock movie has been canceled, and Kevin Levine explains why.

Like a Big Daddy on an unprepared hostile in Rapture, Kevin Levine has killed the Bioshock movie.

Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean) had been prepared to direct the film in 2008, but apparently isn’t planning to follow up after four years, thanks to a declining budget.

Kevin Levine said the underwhelming success of The Watchmen in 2009 gave him second thoughts, and Universal decided change what they would allow in a film about the videogame Bioshock. Kevin says:

“There was a deal in place and it was actually in production at Universal, and Gore Verbinski was directing it. And what happened was — this is my theory – – it’s a very big movie and Gore was very excited about it and he wanted to make a very dark… R rated film with a lot of blood. Then The Watchmen came out… but it didn’t do well for whatever reason and the studio got cold feet about making an R-rated $200 million film.”

So with the budget reduced to $80 million, Gore Verbinski backed out. Just as well, anyway, considering the abysmal production and reception of videogame-based movies these days. Even Angelina Jolie and Gerard Butler couldn’t save Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life from its self-contradicting story.

When Take Two brought in another director, Kevin Levine just didn’t see a match. Juan Carlos Fresnadillo dropped out a year ago this month.

Kevin said he regretted killing a movie he put so much work into. After The Watchmen, Universal wanted to make Bioshock a PG-13 movie and Kevin Levine found the idea unacceptable. He had a definite vision of what he wanted, and a reduced budget and a lower rating wasn’t going to work for him, so he pulled the plug.

What do you think about Kevin Levine canceling the BioShock movie?

What a shame, but I expected it. “@gamespot: Ken Levine explains why he canceled the BioShock movie. gamespot.com/6405153”

— Mark Nova (@imarknova) March 12, 2013