Greetings from Rapture
‘BioShock’ movie in the works at Netflix
A movie adaptation of the dystopian video game series BioShock, one of the best-selling video game franchises of all time, is reportedly in the works for Netflix.
The streaming giant has partnered with Take-Two Interactive, the game’s parent company, to develop a potential cinematic universe based on BioShock. Vertigo Entertainment and Take-Two will serve as producers.
Netflix made the announcement via their Twitter page on Wednesday (Feb. 16).
"We all make choices, but in the end our choices make us. Netflix + BioShock. Would you kindly stay tuned?," the company wrote on Twitter.
"We all make choices, but in the end our choices make us."
— Netflix Geeked (@NetflixGeeked) February 15, 2022
Netflix + BioShock. Would you kindly stay tuned? pic.twitter.com/Ke1oJQileX
According to The Hollywood Reporter, no writer or filmmaker is on board at this time. The partnership deal has been in the works for almost a year.
The retrofuturistic game, which combines first-person shooter and role-playing elements in the fictional underwater city of Rapture offers a unique blend of action, sci-fi and horror.
The game series from 2K Games, a subsidiary of Take-Two, consists of three main games. BioShock (2007) and BioShock 2 (2010) take place in the 1960s while BioShock Infinite (2013) is tied to the first games, but take place in 1912 aboard the floating city of Columbia.
BioShock: The Collection, which compiles all three games, was released in Sept. 2016 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, with versions for macOS and Nintendo Switch, following in Aug. 2017 and May 2020, respectively. A fourth game is reportedly in development at Cloud Chamber studio.
BioShock is set in a society fragmented in a civil war with many inhabitants addicted or using a genetically enhancing serum, ADAM, that grants superhuman abilities. The game is known for its iconic characters, including the heavily armored Big Daddies, mutated humans merged with diving suits, who protect Little Sisters who are harvested for the serum.
Players take on the role of Jack, a survivor of a mysterious plane crash in the Atlantic Ocean.
In a statement, 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,” Zelnick added.
BioShock is the latest in a long list of video game adaptations in the works for Netflix.
Current game adaptations on the streaming site that have found success include The Witcher, a fantasy series starring Henry Cavill, that has spawned a spin-off series and anime movie and the animated action-adventure series Arcane, from the world of A League of Legends.
Other major video game adaptations Netflix is currently working on include Assassin's Creed, Splinter Cell, Tomb Raider, and other Pokemon projects, among others.
