Netflix Is Officially Working On A Live Action BioShock Movie

Netflix has confirmed it's working on a live-action film set in the BioShock universe via Twitter and in a brief announcement on its website. How the film will tie into the games hasn't yet been revealed, as the statement simply says the company is adapting "the renowned video game franchise." It's unclear whether the adaptation will tie into any one specific game title or draw from the full universe.

The new project sees Netflix partnering with 2K and Take-Two Interactive, which published the video games, along with Vertigo Entertainment listed as a producer. Granted, names (producers, directors, etc.) never guarantee a piece of media's quality, but Vertigo does have some pretty well-known titles under its banner. Most notably, TV shows like "Lucifer" and films such as the recent remake of "It" and the "How to Train Your Dragon" franchise.

Bioshock's developer, Irrational Games (now known as Ghost Story Games), is not mentioned in the announcement, though it is still a subsidiary of 2K, so it may also be involved in the production.

There's always a lighthouse

As for what we can expect from this live-action BioShock film, well, it's tough to say. The announcement itself gives nothing away — no setting or plot details, no expected release date, etc. However, with the original publishing companies and (presumably) the original development studio involved, it will likely tie into the games' stories in some fashion.

Depending on the film's schedule, the adaptation could be anything from a retelling of the original BioShock to a tie-in with the upcoming fourth BioShock game that has been in the works since at least 2019. Maybe it'll be set in the sky-bound city of Columbia from BioShock Infinite, which was released in 2013 and has a 10th anniversary coming up. Of course, the movie could be something else entirely.

There are a lot of directions (limitless, really) that Netflix, 2K, Take-Two, and Vertigo could go with a new BioShock story. So long as there's an overbearing antagonist, some kind of dystopian world, and a lighthouse, the movie will probably fit in nicely with the previously established canon. The team even has the freedom to utilize known characters or introduce an entirely new cast, and either option (or both, maybe?) would work. We'll just have to wait and see what happens.