The critically-acclaimed, award-winning first-person shooter BioShock will be available on the big screen as another on the list of the highly-anticipated film adapted games. Since its 2007 release, it has consumed gamers with its fantastic story, graphics and gameplay.
Netflix has announced that plans to create a live-action BioShock movie have been underway for nearly a year, with the streaming Leviathan producing the film. Currently, no writer or filmmaker is attached to the project. Netflix, 2K and Take-Two are working jointly to create an adaptation of the popular immersive simulation game.
The CEO of Take-Two, Strauss Zelnick, says that Netflix is one of the best storytellers in all of entertainment today and that Take-Two is thrilled to share Netflix’s vision and commitment with the BioShock franchise. Zelnick went on to ensure that the upcoming show, and another impending game, will engage and entertain audiences as never before.
Dystopian and utopian thinkers —Ayn Rand, Aldous Huxley, George Orwell— and historical figures, such as Walt Disney, all influenced the creation of the BioShock games.
Gamers play as Jack, the sole survivor of a plane crash over the Atlantic Ocean in the 1960s. He finds himself in an underwater city called Rapture, the creation of an eccentric business tycoon, with the intention of housing the cleverest minds —and wallets— on Earth. The discovery of the ability to grant superhuman powers plunged the city into dystopian turmoil. Jack uncovers a dark and shocking history as he battles to survive against powerful and drug-addicted Splicers, horrifying Big Daddies and eerie Little Sisters.
BioShock borrows from horror, sci-fi and fantasy themes. It gracefully meshes concepts from the survival horror genre with elements of role-playing games, giving players a unique and beautiful experience into the dark world of Rapture.
Highly praised for its morality-based storyline, unique setting and immersive environments, BioShock is considered one of the greatest video games.
The success spurred a sequel, aptly named BioShock 2, taking place eight years later and continuing the story. A third chapter, not directly related to the first two, BioShock Infinite, is set in 1912 and takes players to a floating city. Cloud Chamber Studios, comprised of BioShock developers and other expert game makers, is currently working on a fourth installment.
The franchise also boasts multiple re-releases, remastered editions and bundled collections. The series has sold more than 39 million copies worldwide, being available on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC, Mac and iOS.
After the success of the first BioShock game, Gore Verbinski (the director well-known for The Pirates of the Caribbean and The Ring films) planned to adapt a big-budget live-action BioShock flick. The project was shelved due to the desired R-rating, the expanding budget, and the concern that fans would be disappointed with the translation.
Fans remain hopeful over this announcement, as a slew of new Netflix movies and shows prove successful, including the plethora of film adapted games available.
New Netflix movies based on games have already been added to their massive library over the past few years, and are considered well-received adaptations by video game fans. Most notable is The Witcher, an adult-aimed fantasy series starring Henry Cavill (already popular as DC’s Superman) as the monster-slayer Geralt in a beautiful and intriguing world. The Witcher is one of Netflix’s top-rated titles and has spiralled into numerous spin-offs. In 2021, an animated version of Geralt’s origin story was released, with a second animated film announced shortly after. A live-action prequel mini-series and a family-friendly animated show are currently in the works.
The success of the violent but intriguing The Witcher series gives fans hope that a BioShock movie can maintain the dark and stunning elements that made the games so satisfyingly addictive.
Set across various Hellish visionary landscapes, blending sharpshooting, clever reactions and improvisation skills to survive —and escape from— a story told so uniquely that players return time and again. It is such an immersive and well-designed environment offering memorable obstacles that it can only bode well as a film. Fans will patiently and hopefully wait for a BioShock movie to be released. In the meantime, another play of the game couldn’t hurt.
