Game Invasion's Head Games

Pirates of the Caribbean director, Gore Verbinski, has signed a deal with Universal Pictures to direct the 'BIOSHOCK' movie, according to VARIETY.

"Bioshock" publisher Take-Two Interactive is getting a multimillion-dollar advance against gross points on the pic. It's believed to be the biggest videogame-to-movie deal since 2005, when U and Fox signed onto the since aborted "Halo" pic, for which Microsoft got $5 million against 10%.

Take-Two executive chairman Strauss Zelnick said the "state of the art" deal is structured so that "Bioshock" won't end up in turnaround like "Halo," which is back with Microsoft.

"The reason I structured it the way I did is to make sure it gets made," he emphasized.

Take-Two waited until the attention for 'Bioshock' reached critical mass before pitching the project around Hollywood. After winning immense praise from gamers and industry critics, Zelnick worked with CAA to bring 'Bioshock' to Universal. Universal, in turn, made a bid before Take-Two could pitch to another movie house.

Smart move by both parties. Universal, and subsequently Verbinski, instantly realized the cinematic potential of the 'Bioshock' story. Zelnick, meanwhile, wanted to preserve the integrity of their IP and opted out of putting the movie in the hands of a Hollywood producer.

"One of the things we decided early on is that we didn't want to go through a producer," he [Zelnick] commented. "It's terribly important to us to have a meaningful influence on how this project is produced. We didn't want any insulation between us."

Verbinski noted that Rapture's art deco design and visually arresting characters, such as the mechanical Big Daddys who protect genetically mutated girls called Little Sisters, particularly inspired him to see the game as a film.

Universal must be trying to make up for their failed attempts to bring 'HALO' to the big-screen. Much like 'Bioshock,' the 'Halo' movie also had big names behind it, with Peter Jackson set to produce and Neil Blomkamp directing. Unfortunately, Universal closed production after a year amid concerns over escalating costs. Blomkamp later released test reels of the project to much fan interest, though it still didn't keep the project alive. HERE is what a 'Halo' movie might have looked like.

Take-Two is currently riding a huge wave of success with the blockbuster release of GTA IV, which has beaten out 'HALO 3' for most sales in a week. The announcement of a 'Bioshock' movie deal also justifies holding out on EA's bid for the company.

Let's see how the company capitalizes on this momentum with 'Sid Meier's Civilization Revolution,' 'Borderlands,' the fabled 'Duke Nukem Forever' and the eventual 'Bioshock 2.'