Nettflix has partnered with Take-Two Interactive Software to adapt the BioShock video game into a feature film.
Netflix will work with Take-Two’s 2K label to produce a live-action film adaptation of the renowned video game franchise. Vertigo Entertainment and 2K will produce.
It’s the latest video game property to head to Hollywood, following the likes of Uncharted, Borderlands, Assassin’s Creed, Prince of Persia, Mortal Kombat, Sonic, Tomb Raider, Resident Evil, Warcraft, Hitman, Pokémon, Doom, Silent Hill, and many others. Netflix also aired Arcane, a TV series that uses League of Legends for its backstory.
The theory is that these games are good subjects for movies because they have a built-in audience with video game fans. The trend also runs counter to transmedia of past years, when movies were adapted into video games, often with poor success.
“Netflix is among the best and most forward-thinking storytellers in all of entertainment today,” said Strauss Zelnick, chairman and CEO of Take-Two Interactive, in a statement. “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.”
The BioShock game franchise includes BioShock, BioShock 2, and BioShock Infinite. Ken Levine and Irrational Games debuted the narrative-heavy horror shooter BioShock in 2007, and it was a big hit among fans of narrative-based action games.
Set across multiple dystopian and visionary landscapes gone wrong, the series blends sci-fi and horror to pose unique existential and societal questions that reshaped how game stories could be told — all amidst pulse-pounding action gameplay that rewards sharpshooting, clever planning, and lethal improvisation.
Across the titles’ original releases as well as multiple re-releases, remastered editions and bundled collections, BioShock has sold more than 39 million copies worldwide, and is widely recognized as one of the most celebrated and beloved series in all of gaming. The next installment is currently in development by Cloud Chamber.