Verbinski Dumps PIRATES IV, Hugs BIOSHOCK...

Merrick here...
Looks like Gore Verbinski won't be directing the fourth PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN film, currently in development.

Verbinski has informed Disney and producer Jerry Bruckheimer that he will not helm a fourth installment that's expected to set sail in 2010 with Johnny Depp back as Captain Jack Sparrow. Sequel is in development but not yet greenlit. It's unknown how Verbinski's ankling will affect the pic's schedule. Verbinski will instead focus on other projects that include "Bioshock," a Universal Pictures adaptation of the bestselling vidgame that has a John Logan script and is likely to be Verbinski's next film as a director.

...says THIS ARTICLE in Variety. The visually arresting BIOSHOCK game (HERE) is about a plane crash survivor who ends up in a man-made underwater city, only to face the grotesque horrors that await within...
A sequel game will be released later this year and is already available for preorder (HERE for 360, or HERE for PS3).