Netflix is partnering with Take-Two Interactive and its game publisher subsidiary, 2K, to produce a film based on renowned video game franchise BioShock.
Set across multiple dystopian and visionary landscapes gone wrong, the BioShock series has blended sci-fi and horror to pose unique existential and societal questions admist pulse-pounding action gameplay that rewards sharp shooting, clever planning and lethal improvisation. The franchise first arrived in 2007 and has since sold more than 39 million copies worldwide.
This isn’t the first time Hollywood has tried to adapt the game for the screen. Gore Verbinski (Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl) signed on to direct a BioShock film from a script by John Logan in 2008, but that project was shelved due to budget concerns.
Verbinski later returned for talks to produce an adaptation from director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, but that iteration was canceled in 2013 when the filmmakers failed to reach an agreement with Universal with regard to the film’s budget and intended rating.
There will be no problems like that with Netflix, who have yet to see a budget too large to turn down. They’re more interested in getting the content first, and worrying about the costs later. If the content becomes a hit, leading to more subscribers, the budget will cease to matter. The idea is to make Netflix a ubiquitous presence in every household; thus far, that plan is working.
“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 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.”
The timing is interesting for this announcement, as another film adaptation of a popular video game is due to debut later this week in the form of Uncharted. It’s a little surprising Netflix wouldn’t have waited to see if that film was another casualty in the long line of game adaptations that failed to make their expected mark at the box office.
But clearly they’re confident enough in the BioShock brand that the performance of Uncharted has no bearing on this project. And maybe they’re right. BioShock has all the pieces in place to become an interesting sci-fi action film. We will now wait and see who gets hired in front and behind the camera to bring those pieces to the screen.
#Peace.Love.BioShock
