Guillermo del Toro talks BioShock movie deal
Guillermo del Toro, the celebrated director known for his fantastical visual world, has finally opened up about a career-defining experience that went spectacularly sideways: his attempt to adapt the iconic first-person sci-fi shooter BioShock into a feature film.
While the idea of bringing the atmospheric, narrative-rich world of Rapture to the big screen was tantalizing, the process proved to be a masterclass in cinematic frustration. Del Toro admitted that the experience was rather disastrous, highlighting the fundamental differences between the two mediums.
“We had a very contentious call about a couple of games,” he recounted. “I find that the dynamics of a video game are very different than a movie. 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. You’re not assembling.”
The disconnect between the visual style of film and the interactive nature of gaming created a rift. For Del Toro, the world of gaming operates on a different logic—one centered on assembly and exploration rather than linear narrative progression. This realization solidified his stance, leading him to state that he “never” wishes to get involved in video game development again, especially following earlier projects that had been cancelled, such as his survival horror game Insane
Del Toro’s history with games is complex and deeply personal. His prior involvement included working on P.T., a playable teaser for a cancelled Silent Hill game, and the survival horror title Insane, which was shelved after two years of development. He once wryly described himself as the albatross of video gaming.
Despite his reluctance to develop, Del Toro remains an avid consumer of interactive storytelling, finding immense immersion in the worlds he explores. When discussing his favorite universes, he highlighted a collection of games that resonate with his artistic sensibility. He named BioShock and Death Stranding as the most immersive experiences, while praising the grandeur of Metal Gear Solid.
His list of cinematic masterpieces in the gaming sphere is equally compelling: Shadow Of The Colossus, which he called a masterpiece for its atmospheric and tragic quality, and the epic scope of the God Of War games, which he considers some of the best cinematic experiences he has ever had.
Adding a touch of levity to this list, Del Toro confirmed that he still dedicates time to simpler, more lighthearted games, noting that he plays Angry Birds every single day. This dedication to interactive play, from sprawling epics to simple birds, underscores a lasting appreciation for worlds built through design and narrative.
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