Guillermo del Toro says calls about adapting BioShock were "disastrous"

Guillermo del Toro told IGN that they once tried to adapt video games for film and that the effort, which included BioShock, collapsed after a "very contentious call about a couple of games". 1 2 Del Toro described the BioShock calls as "probably one of the most disastrous calls I've ever had" and ended with "no, f*ck no" on the idea of doing such an adaptation. 1 2 Del Toro's stated reason is that games and films tell stories differently: they may look alike cinematically, but in games "you're not solving puzzles. You're not assembling" in the way a film audience experiences a story. 1 2

Collider noted that del Toro did not say who was on the calls or what made them so disastrous, and that the comments appear to confirm rumours going back almost two decades. 1 BioShock, launched in 2007 by publisher 2K, has had film attempts since 2008, including one with director Gore Verbinski attached at Universal. 2 Netflix announced a separate live-action BioShock film in 2022. Francis Lawrence is directing and Roy Lee is producing. It has no release date, and Lawrence's other commitments have delayed it. 1 2

The two outlets name the screenwriter differently: Collider says Michael Green, while Screen Rant says Justin Rhodes. Screen Rant also says Lawrence is occupied with The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, due in November. 1 2 Screen Rant adds that 2K is developing BioShock 4, with reports that executives are unhappy with its direction. 2