The Bioshock movie is moving forward with a smaller budget
It has been a while since we last heard about Netflix’s Bioshock movie, sparking speculation that it may have been canceled. However, the latest update confirms that the movie is still in the works. Unfortunately, there are reports suggesting that the budget for the film has been reduced, as per Variety.
This comes from producer Roy Lee, who was one of the people behind The Lego Movie. He announced the reduced budget at a panel at San Diego Comic-Con. He didn’t release the numbers, but said the film is currently being “edited” into a “more personal” film. Director Francis Lawrence continues to direct the picture. He has directed four of the five Hunger Games films as well as I Am Legend and the original Constantine film.
The Bioshock movie was first announced back in 2022, but since then Netflix has experienced some sort of management change at the executive level. Dan Lin replaced Scott Stuber as Streamer’s head of movies, and Lin has been tightening the purse strings on things like Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon.
“The new system has reduced budgets,” Lee said at Comic-Con. “So we’re making a much smaller version.”
In addition to the budget cuts, Lee noted that Netflix has changed its compensation strategy for movies. It is moving to a more traditional model based on bonuses tied to actual viewership numbers.
This could actually be good news. I think personal stories tend to work better than constant CGI battles with hordes of faceless baddies. Bioshock is also essentially a personal story about a family, with the fantastic Rapture setting as window dressing.
I guess it ultimately depends on how much the budget was cut. There’s a big difference between a slightly reduced budget and a huge cut that turns all the footage into darkened hallway scenes shot on set in warehouses in Toronto or Atlanta. No release date has been announced, and to be honest, it could still be a long way off. Director Lawrence has a lot on his plate right now, including an adaptation of Stephen King’s The Long Walk and yet another Hunger Games movie.
