The Bioshock Film Dilema

The Bioshock series of video games has a strong emphasis on awe-inspiring visuals, as well as three-dimensional characters and engrossing stories. For some time, the idea of the series making the transition to film has been in the works, but now it seems the project has been put on hold indefinitely. Given the series popularity, why would a film adaptation of Bioshock not be pushed through? Let's take a look at some key aspects to find out...

To begin with, there is always an inevitable groan when the thought of adapting a popular video game into a film is mentioned. With there being so many previous attempts, most of which receiving negative reviews from audiences and critics, the idea of trying to adapt Bioshock would seem like a waste of time. Where Bioshock would have an advantage, were it to be made into a film, is its strong plot and developed characters. Much of the story involves the player being confronted with a moral choice, and so adding a more cinematic touch to this could make for more emotional investment from the audience. Previous adaptations of video games received negatively, such as Super Mario Bros. (1993), were based on source material that didn't have such focus on the story on the way Bioshock does, though technology limited video games of that time to have greater focus on gameplay. With the advancement of technology, a story as complex as Bioshock's can easily be told in a video game as well as a film. However, with filmmakers such as Uwe Boll churning out films based on games so frequently, today's audience have quickly become disillusioned with the idea of yet another video game adaptation, and with the consistent negative reception, they have very little reason to invest money into going to see them at the cinema or own them on DVD.

With concerns as to whether audiences still have an appetite for films adapted from video games, any major studio would be further put off by the astronomical budget required to bring this series to life. Given that two of the three games in the series where set in the same location, Rapture, it seems most likely this would be the setting for the film. Rapture is an underwater metropolis, featuring glass tunnels leading to different parts of the city. Most of the budget would have to go towards creating Rapture, whether it be via CGI or elaborate models. However, there would have to be a significantly large spend on the inhabitants of Rapture, too. Of course, the film would have to feature the Big Daddies (pictured above) not only for being the most iconic image from the series, but also for their significance to the story, as a representation of the downfall of Rapture. Were the film to be based off the third game in the series, Bioshock Infinite, I feel similar problems would occur. The sky city of Columbia would be equally challenging to put on film, and there are also non-humanoid inhabitants as there are in Rapture. Namely, the Songbird, a massive mechanical creature that terrorises the protagonists. 

For me, the toughest thing about adapting Bioshock for the big screen would be keeping the dark themes and violence intact, and there's no way of doing that without the film having an 18 certificate. The story of Rapture is an intense tale of how a city can be corrupted by the lust for power, eventually leading to a civil war after the citizens' addiction to a substance known as ADAM (which equips the player with special powers in the game). As well as the violent story, there are plenty of horror elements, particularly in the first game. We see just how badly some of the inhabitants have been effected by ADAM, as they have mutated into creatures named Splicers, who attack the player with all manner of weapons. The look of the Little Sisters evoke the twin girls from Stanley Kubrick's The Shining (1980), further establishing a horror film atmosphere. The only way I could see a Bioshock film being made with a more commercial 12A certificate would be to set it in Columbia and remove the complexities of the Elizabeth character and discriminatory themes and stick to the basic premise: the characters of Booker DeWitt has to rescue Elizabeth from the city. If that many liberties have to be taken, whereby it ruins a strong story and characters, then the film shouldn't be made at all.

So, for now, it seems that Bioshock's future remains in the realm of video games. As a fan of the series, I hope one day a feature film is made with love for the story and themes established in the games. Until the above issues are addressed with a satisfactory resolution for all parties, it might be a while until the idea is touted to studios again. The least fans can hope for now is another Bioshock game, and here's hoping it's just as good as the previous instalments.