Movies
Francis Lawrence Updates on ‘BioShock’ Film Adaptation, Says Script is Currently Being Written
It’s been a long road for 2K Games’ BioShock to get that elusive film adaptation, but director Francis Lawrence believes he’s the one to do it. During a press tour for his upcoming film Slumberland, Lawrence chatted with Collider about the BioShock film being developed for Netflxi, and why he feels that the adaptation will succeed where other video game adaptations have fallen short.
As far as a status update on BioShock, the film’s script is currently being penned by Michael Green, who also wrote Blade Runner 2049. “We already have our take, outline, and all that kind of stuff, so that’s all done. [Michael]’s now just actually writing. That’s why I said it’s a real possibility of [it] being what’s next,” says Lawrence.
Lawrence goes on to praise the series, which is currently having its latest entry being developed by Cloud Chamber. Despite video game adaptations having a spotty track record with the move to film, he believes that BioShock can be a winner. “First of all, I think it’s one of the best games ever created. It’s also, I think, one of the most visually unique games ever created. The other thing, and one of the things that always appeals to me, is it is very thematic. There’s real ideas and philosophies underneath the game property, and it’s really, really, really thought out. A lot of games may have a great world of some kind, or they may have a great lead character, or they may tee you up for great set-pieces, but they don’t really have the ideas, they don’t have the kind of weight and the gravitas that Bioshock does.”
When asked about the perceived disconnect with what made games so good, and comparing that to their film adaptations, Lawrence says that while the games themselves are good, they don’t have a lot when it comes to actual ideas. “Sometimes they have a great aesthetic or something like that, but I feel like often they end up feeling empty because they’re not built from real ideas. The thing is, BioShock really is. The whole mythology of that world and the ideas behind it all, there’s just so much there.”
Meanwhile, Netflix had recently announced another long-awaited film adaptation for a video game series in Gears of War, with Dave Bautista showing interest in starring in the film.
In addition to Leigh Whannell’s upcoming Universal Monsters movie Wolf Man, Julia Garner (The Royal Hotel) has also joined the cast of Weapons, THR has announced tonight.
Weapons is the new horror movie from New Line Cinema and director Zach Cregger (Barbarian), with Julia Garner joining the previously announced Josh Brolin (Dune 2).
The upcoming Weapons is from writer/director Zach Cregger, who will also produce alongside his Barbarian producing team: Roy Lee of Vertigo and J.D. Lifshitz and Raphael Margules of BoulderLight Pictures. Vertigo’s Miri Yoon also produces.
The Hollywood Reporter teases, “Plot details for Weapons are being kept holstered but it is described as a multi and inter-related story horror epic that tonally is in the vein of Magnolia, the 1999 actor-crammed showcase from filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson.”
Cregger was a founding member and writer for the New York comedy troupe “The Whitest Kids U’Know,” which he started while attending The School of Visual Arts. The award-winning group’s self-titled sketch comedy show ran for five seasons on IFC-TV and Fuse. He was also a series regular on Jimmy Fallon’s NBC series “Guys with Kids” and the TBS hit series “Wrecked,” and was featured in a recurring role on the NBC series “About a Boy.”
Weapons will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Dev Patel’s ‘Monkey Man’ Is Now Available to Watch at Home!
Five Underseen Vampire Horror Movies to Stream This Week
Looking for New Episodes of “Chucky” on Peacock? Here’s What Changed
‘Stream’ – Horror Movie from the Team Behind ‘Terrifier’ Sets August Theatrical Release
‘The Blair Witch Project’ – Original Stars Release a Statement Asking Lionsgate for Residuals & Recognition
