Groundbreaking Video Game Bioshock To Get Netflix Film Adaptation

Video game movies have always been a bit of a mixed bag, which makes sense when trying to adapt an interactive medium to a non-interactive one. However, in a surprising announcement, a film adaptation of Bioshock will be heading to Netflix.

The announcement came from the NetflixGeeked Twitter account, which was retweeted by both the official Netflix and 2K Twitter accounts. As of now, there are virtually no details about the film—no writer, director or headlining actors seem attached at this time, however Vertigo Entertainment and Take-Two will serve as producers.

This is Bioshock’s second attempt at a film adaptation, as, according to the Hollywood Reporter, the game was considered for a film adaptation back in 2007, with Pirates of the Caribbean director Gore Verbinski attached to helm. However, budget and an R-rathing would haunt the project for ten years, ultimately leading to it being shelved.

CEO and Chairman of Take-Two Interactive, Straus Zelnick sounds very excited about the project, saying in a statement, “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.”

Zelnick continued, “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.”

Netflix has seen massive success from video game adaptations on its platform. The Witcher series, starring Henry Cavil has received acclaim from both critics and gamers alike; and its anime adaptations of Castlevania and League of Legends—under the title Arcane—are sitting at a 94% and 100% on Rotten Tomatoes respectively.

Hopefully, they can find the same success with a film adaptation of Bioshock which has such a deep pool of lore and themes to pull from.