“Would you kindly watch Netflix’s ‘BioShock’ movie?”
The streamer is teaming up with 2K and Take-Two Interactive to adapt the popular video game series as a film, details of which were announced Tuesday. Vertigo Entertainment and Take-Two will produce the movie, which does not have a director or talent attached as of yet.
Set across multiple dystopian and visionary landscapes gone wrong, the “BioShock” series blends sci-fi and horror to pose unique existential and societal questions that reshaped how game stories could be told — all amidst pulse-pounding action gameplay that rewards sharp shooting, clever planning and lethal improvisation.
The first “BioShock” released in 2007 to widespread critical acclaim. Gamers played as Jack, the lone survivor of a plane crash over the Atlantic Ocean in the 1960s. He discovers an underwater dystopia called Rapture, which was created by an eccentric business magnate Andrew Ryan. Rapture had seen better days, and Jack must battle a variety of enemies, like the super-powered, drug-addicted Splicers and massive, diving-suit-clad Big Daddies, to escape. However, Jack’s own mental state and the origins of his plane crash are far from what they originally seem.
Following the success of “BioShock,” a direct sequel released in 2010, which put players in the giant boots of a Big Daddy. “BioShock Infinite” was released in 2013 and took place in the steampunk, airborne city of Columbia in 1912.
“Netflix is among the best and most forward-thinking storytellers in all of entertainment today,” said Strauss Zelnick, chairman and CEO of Take-Two Interactive in a statement. “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.”
This isn’t the first time an adaptation of “BioShock” was launched. Director Gore Verbinski was attached to a live-action film from Universal, but it was scrapped after a ballooning budget in 2009.
Across the titles’ original releases as well as multiple re-releases, remastered editions and bundled collections, the “BioShock” series has sold more than 39 million copies worldwide, and it’s widely recognized as one of the most celebrated and beloved series in all of gaming.