Guillermo del Toro has finally confirmed that he was involved in early discussions to direct a movie adaptation of BioShock—but the project fell apart after a series of conversations he described as among the most disastrous of his career.The rumors first emerged online in 2008, a year after the release of the original BioShock. Del Toro had never previously confirmed his involvement, although he had spoken positively about the game and its potential as a film.

Speaking to IGN, the filmmaker explained that adapting a video game requires a fundamentally different approach from making a movie. Although the two mediums can share cinematic visuals and camera language, games rely on player participation, exploration and puzzle-solving.“They may be cinematically similar in terms of the camera moving, and this and that, but the storytelling is very different, because you’re not solving puzzles,” del Toro said.

Discussing the BioShock adaptation, he added: “We had a couple of calls. They are probably one of the most disastrous calls I’ve ever had. So no, f**k no.”Del Toro did not reveal who was involved in the calls or explain precisely what caused the discussions to end. However, the experience appears to have discouraged him from pursuing another video game adaptation.

BioShock movie still in developmentA separate BioShock movie is currently in development at Netflix. The project is being directed by Francis Lawrence, known for The Hunger Games franchise, while Justin Rhodes—who co-wrote Terminator: Dark Fate—is working on the screenplay.

Producer Roy Lee previously confirmed that the film would be based on the first BioShock game. However, the adaptation still has no release date, and it has been in development since its announcement in 2022.

Whether the new version can succeed where earlier attempts failed remains unclear, but del Toro’s newly confirmed involvement offers a glimpse at one of the most intriguing BioShock projects that never reached production.