The film adaptation of 2K Boston and Australia's BioShock (PC, PS3, 360) has been put in a "holding pattern" over budget concerns, director Gore Verbinski informed Variety.

"We were asked by Universal to move the film outside the U.S. to take advantage of a tax credit," the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy director explained. "We are evaluating whether this is something we want to do...the film is in a holding pattern."

Universal, which has been funding the project, was adamant that it will actually see release. "No plug has been pulled on BioShock," it told Kotaku. "Universal remains committed to making the project and Gore absolutely remains attached as director."

The studio added that it was examining "elements that might help us make the film at a responsible budget," including tax credits, exchange rates, and shooting locations.

The movie's budget recently ballooned to somewhere around $160 million, according to Variety, which cites numerous anonymous sources at Universal and stresses that the project will not "become another Halo."

No release estimate for the BioShock film has been provided, though Verbinski recently dropped out of Pirates of the Caribbean 4 in order to focus on the adaptation, which is being scripted by Sweeny Todd and Star Trek: Nemesis screenwriter John Logan.