Unfortunately for men everywhere the film industry is cash driven, which is why we see so many terrible romantic comedies (they’re cheap and rake in a lot of ticket sales) instead of the action-packed extravaganzas we like so much. The more disconnected from the real world a film is, the higher the costs are. More atmosphere means more sets, more costumes, more everything. Coming off his huge success with the Pirates of the Caribbean films Gore Verbinski set his sights on the BioShock film.

Universal Pictures has been behind the project so far, but when the budget rose to over $160 million they halted production. Verbinski has said that he’s determined to get the film made. Universal hasn’t said they’re backing out completely but they are pushing the director to take filming outside of the USA to take advantage of tax credits and Verbinski said London is one of the locations they’re considering. With the incredible amount of special effects and scenery needed to truly portray the eerie underwater city of rapture it’s hard to guess how much Universal expected to be able to make the film for, especially given the epic quality of the Pirates trilogy.