Director Gore Verbinski has announced that he won’t be taking the helm of the fourth Pirates of the Caribbean movie, choosing to focus on the upcoming BioShock film instead.
Verbinski directed all three of the previous Pirates of the Caribbean films – in fact, aside from a quick break in 2005 for the Nicolas Cage film The Weather Man, it’s all he’s done since The Ring was released in 2002 – but now he’s apparently looking for a change of pace and the underwater dystopia of Rapture appears to have tickled his fancy. Verbinski was actually signed to direct the movie in May 2008 but his choice to do BioShock over the “sure thing” of a new Pirates movie is a strong signal of his commitment to the project.
“I had a fantastic time bringing Pirates to life and I am eternally grateful to Jerry, Johnny and the rest of the creative and production team,” Verbinski said. “I’m looking forward to all of us crossing paths again in the future.” In fact, Verbinski is working with Depp on Rango, an animated film in which Depp voices the lead character.
Verbinski said he felt BioShock was “brimming with cinematic potential” when he signed to direct the movie, claiming, “Of all the games I’ve played, this is one that I felt has a really strong narrative.” The BioShock film is currently slated for release in 2010.
Source: Variety
