BIOSHOCK Movie Director Francis Lawrence Says Netflix Adaptation Is “Getting Close,” But There’s Still a Hurdle

The long-awaited BioShock movie is still alive at Netflix, and director Francis Lawrence says the video game adaptation is getting closer to becoming a reality. Unfortunately, there are still a few obstacles keeping fans from finally taking that trip down to Rapture.

Hollywood has spent nearly two decades trying to turn the acclaimed 2007 video game into a movie, and while Lawrence sounds optimistic about the project, some recent changes at Netflix could complicate things.

During an interview with The Direct while promoting his latest film, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, Lawrence opened up about the challenges of adapting the game, admitting, “It is a tough nut to crack that world and that story.”

One of the biggest challenges is translating the game's unique storytelling into a movie. Lawrence explained that they're “creating that character from scratch,” which makes sense considering how much of the original game's experience depends on the person holding the controller.

The original BioShock follows Jack, a mysterious survivor who discovers Rapture, an underwater city built around the idea of unrestricted capitalism and scientific freedom. Naturally, everything has gone horribly wrong, leaving the once-impressive city crawling with dangerous inhabitants, including the terrifying Big Daddies.

What makes BioShock particularly tricky to adapt is its exploration of free will and player choice. The game uses those ideas to deliver one of the most memorable twists in gaming history, and pulling off something similar in a movie where audiences are simply watching events unfold presents a very different challenge.

Guillermo del Toro, who previously explored bringing BioShock to the screen, pointed out that same issue.

“The storytelling is very different, because you’re not solving puzzles. You’re not assembling.”

Video games allow players to feel like they're controlling the story, even when they're being guided along a predetermined path.

That's a major part of what makes BioShock work, and finding a way to preserve that experience in a film is going to take some creative thinking.

Of course, figuring out the story isn't the only problem Lawrence is dealing with. There are also some changes happening at Netflix.

“Netflix right now has had regime changes and just all of that kind of nonsense,” the filmmaker explained.

Those leadership changes have added another complication to the production, and Lawrence also has several other projects on his plate, including an adaptation of Red Rising. As a result, there's still no guarantee that BioShock will be the next movie he directs.

This isn't the first time a BioShock movie has run into issues.

Back in 2008, Universal Pictures acquired the rights to the game and hired Gore Verbinski, the filmmaker behind Pirates of the Caribbean, to direct. Verbinski teamed with screenwriter John Logan on an ambitious R-rated adaptation that actually came pretty close to happening.

The movie was reportedly just weeks away from filming before concerns over its massive budget brought everything to a halt.

Concept art from that abandoned production eventually surfaced online, showing off some awesome designs for Rapture and its twisted inhabitants.

Verbinsky also revealed that he and Logan had figured out a way to incorporate both endings from the original game into their screenplay.

It's a shame that version never happened, because an R-rated BioShock from Verbinski could have been something pretty special.

Netflix eventually announced its own adaptation in 2022, with Lawrence signing on to direct. Producer Roy Lee has since confirmed that the movie will be based on the original game rather than its sequels, which means we'll likely be heading straight into the nightmare that started it all.

That's certainly the right place to begin. Rapture is one of the coolest and creepiest locations ever created for a video game, and seeing its Art Deco architecture, flooded corridors, and massive Big Daddies brought to life in a live-action movie could be incredible.

The real question is whether Netflix can finally get this thing into production after so many years of false starts.

Lawrence seems confident that progress is being made, but until the project moves into actual production, fans probably shouldn't get too comfortable with the idea that the movie is actually happening.