‘BioShock’ Movie In Works; Netflix Partnering With 2K, Take-Two Interactive On Adaptation Of Video Game Franchise

Netflix is partnering with video game holding company Take-Two Interactive and its game publisher subsidiary, 2K, to produce a film based on their renowned video game franchise BioShock.

Set across multiple dystopian and visionary landscapes gone wrong, the BioShock video game series has blended sci-fi and horror to pose unique existential and societal questions reshaping how game stories are told—all amidst pulse-pounding action gameplay that rewards sharp shooting, clever planning and lethal improvisation. The award-winning franchise first introduced by 2K in 2007 has sold more than 39 million copies worldwide across the original releases of titles including BioShock, BioShock 2 and BioShock Infinite, as well as multiple rereleases, remastered editions and bundled collections.

Another installment in the first-person shooter franchise is currently in development at Cloud Chamber.

Over the years, multiple attempts at adapting the franchise for film have been made, all at Universal. Gore Verbinski signed on to direct a BioShock film, from a script by John Logan, in 2008, but that project was shelved due to budget concerns, with Verbinski later in talks to produce an adaptation from director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo. That iteration was likewise canceled in 2013, when the filmmakers failed to reach an agreement with the studio with regard to the film’s budget and intended rating.

2K will produce the upcoming adaptation with Roy Lee’s Vertigo Entertainment.

“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,” said Take-Two Interactive’s Chairman and CEO, Strauss Zelnick. “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.”