As video game adaptations take over Hollywood, news around the live-action adaptation of BioShock has emerged. In a recent update from, Michael Green, the project’s screenwriter confirmed that the project is going well.
Recognized for his lauded contributions to films such as Logan and Blade Runner 2049, Green emphasized the kind of supportive environment that Netflix has provided during the film’s development. In his recent interview with Collider, Green commented on the streaming giant’s excitement, both pre and post the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike, which momentarily halted the project’s momentum.
“Netflix has been amazing about it,” he said. “They were excited about it before the strike, they’re excited about it now, post-strike.” Further detailing the immediate aftermath of the strike, Green added, “Yes, I got called, the, ‘How’s it coming along?’ the minute the strike was over, ‘You about ready…?'”
The current development process is by no means the first attempt to bring BioShock to the cinematic realm. The video game, which was released in 2007 by 2K Boston and quickly acclaimed as one of the greatest video games of the 21st century, had earlier been slated for a film adaptation with Gore Verbinski as director. This earlier adaptation was in the advanced stages, with casting, storyboarding, and a completed script. However, the ambitious project was shelved due to the risks associated with producing an R-rated film adaptation of a video game with a substantial budget. Verbinski’s vision required vast world-building, which would be challenging to replicate with mere location shoots.
Now, with the video game adaptation landscape having changed significantly in Hollywood, there’s a sense of renewed optimism. The success stories of recent video game adaptations hint at a departure from previous iterations that often disappointed fans due to either lack of authenticity or sheer divergence from the original material. Hollywood is now more inclined towards collaborations with game developers, aiming for more accurate and fan-pleasing retellings.
Just this year alone, video game fans saw the release of widely successful adaptations of The Last of Us, Twisted Metal, and Castlevania.
In the current endeavor, Green has teamed up with Francis Lawrence, the director famed for projects like I Am Legend and Catching Fire. Both Green and Lawrence have been “meeting regularly” to refine the draft and bring the essence of the game to life. Green describes their vision as “a great big sprawling nightmare world we wanna see real.”
Over a decade after it came out, BioShock remains an exemplary video game narrative, set in the visually arresting and mesmerizing underwater city of Rapture. Originally a haven for the brightest minds of the world, Rapture was envisaged in the 1940s by industrialist Andrew Ryan as a libertarian utopia where intellectuals could flourish without usual societal restraints. The game’s compelling storyline, profound moral choices, and its exploration of ethics and philosophy, all set in a city beneath the ocean, have garnered a vast fan base. Its atmospheric setting, replete with the remnants of a bygone era of opulence now in decay, remains one of its most captivating aspects.
This renewed attempt at adapting BioShock into a live-action film film is met with immense anticipation. However, the specific details surrounding the film, such as whether it will be a direct adaptation, a canonical prequel or interpretation, remain under wraps. Francis Lawrence has previously assured fans that the adaptation would be “really true to the game itself.”
In the meantime, the franchise’s fans can look forward to BioShock 4 and Judas. The former is stuck in development hell and isn’t coming out anytime soon. But, Judas, the newest project by Ken Levine, was showcased last year.
