Netflix has announced a film adaptation of BioShock is in the works.
The streaming platform is partnering with 2K and Take-Two Interactive to produce the adaptation of the video game series. It currently has no director or cast attached.
The original BioShock, released in 2007, is set in the dystopian underwater city of Rapture – a place created to be a utopia which falls into chaos following the discovery of the substance, ADAM, which grants superhuman abilities.
It’s also known for its iconic characters, including the heavily armoured Big Daddies that protect Little Sisters which are harvested for ADAM.
“We all make choices, but in the end our choices make us.”
Netflix + BioShock. Would you kindly stay tuned? pic.twitter.com/Ke1oJQileX
— Netflix Geeked (@NetflixGeeked) February 15, 2022
The BioShock franchise consists of three mainline games; BioShock, BioShock 2, and BioShock Infinite. A fourth game in the series is currently in development at Cloud Chamber.
Strauss Zelnick, chairman and CEO of Take-Two Interactive, said: “Netflix is among the best and most forward-thinking storytellers in all of entertainment today.
“We are thrilled that they share our vision and commitment to the BioShock franchise, which is beloved by millions of fans around the world. 2K’s Cloud Chamber studio is deep in active development on the next iteration of the series, and coupled with our partnership with Netflix, we remain highly confident that BioShock will continue to captivate and engage audiences like never before.”
A live-action BioShock film adaptation was previously in the works from director Gore Verbinski (Pirates Of The Caribbean) and Universal, which was later scrapped in 2009.
Speaking to Collider about its cancellation, Verbinski said: “There was a lot of diffusion. So, when the movie was shut down, it was literally the conversation that I had. The brutally honest conversation I had saying, don’t buy the rights, I just want you to be clear. This is a $200million, R-rated [movie]. We were now about to start shooting a $200million R-rated movie and they chickened out.
“I think, Watchmen had just come out right before that or something. So, there was a little bit of, these movies need to be PG-13. If they cost that much, they need to be PG-13.”
