Video game adaptations have long been considered dangerous waters, but they’ve been getting calmer of late. Netflix recently made waves with its adaptation of Arcane, based on the popular MOBA game League of Legends. Apparently it was enough to convince the streamer that video games are a fertile ground for new projects, because they’ve just announced another one.
Taking to Twitter today, Netflix announced that they are developing a live-action movie based on BioShock. They will be partnering with 2K and Take-Two Interactive, the studio that created the game and its parent company respectively, to produce the film.
"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
Netflix is developing a BioShock movie
BioShock was first released in 2007, when it received tons of acclaim for its hauntingly dark world and intricate storytelling. The first game follows Jack, a passenger on an airplane that crashes into the ocean near the underwater city of Rapture. Rapture was pegged as a haven where the rich and powerful could live out their lives free from the restrictions of land-based governments…but as Jack finds out, it’s devolved into a horrific den of monsters, with the iconic Big Daddies being some of the worst.
Following the success of the original, two more BioShock games were released: BioShock 2 and the prequel/spinoff BioShock: Infinite. A new BioShock game is currently in development at 2K’s Cloud Chamber studio, though IGN notes it does not have original BioShock creator Kevin Levine attached.
It certainly bodes well for Netflix that the game studio is involved. As with Arcane, keeping the companies that originally worked on these games involved seems to be a strategy that is working.
Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick issued a statement about the partnership on Tuesday. “Netflix is among the best and most forward-thinking storytellers in all of entertainment today,” it reads. “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."
There was a time when BioShock was being eyed by Pirates of the Caribbean director Gore Verbinski for an adaptation back when the original video game launched, but it lingered in development hell until the project was eventually cancelled. Hopefully, Netflix has better luck.
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