Guillermo Del Toro Reveals He Tried to Adapt BioShock Into a Movie, but ‘Disastrous’ Phone Call Ended the Project Before It Began
Guillermo del Toro has officially confirmed long-standing rumors that he was involved in early development for a BioShock film adaptation. In an interview with IGN, the acclaimed filmmaker revealed that he had “a couple of calls” about directing the project, but these conversations were among “the most disastrous calls I’ve ever had,” causing the adaptation to be shelved before significant progress could be made.
BioShock, the massively influential 2007 first-person shooter, has long been considered a prime candidate for film adaptation due to its compelling narrative, dystopian setting, and philosophical themes. However, the game has remained Hollywood’s “white whale” — numerous adaptation attempts have been launched since the game’s release, yet none have successfully made it to production.
Del Toro’s failed effort adds to a string of unsuccessful attempts to bring BioShock to the screen. During the interview, he also remarked that he “never” wants to make a video game adaptation again, citing his experiences with previous attempts as reason to step away from the medium entirely. This marks a significant shift from his earlier openness to adapting games into films, suggesting that the behind-the-scenes difficulties he encountered were substantial enough to deter him from the genre altogether.