After Universal Pictures failed to produce a movie adaptation of the iconic video game BioShock when it acquired the rights in May 2008, Netflix announced in 2022 that it had partnered with 2K and Take-Two Interactive to produce a live-action flick of its own. The streamer enlisted Hunger Games director Francis Lawrence (Catching Fire, Mockingjay) along with Logan scribe Michael Green. But after four years, fans have been wondering when cameras will finally roll.
The Direct spoke one-on-one with Francis Lawrence as part of the press junket for his next movie, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, and asked him whether production on Bioshock was next up after his latest trip to Panem. Producer Roy Lee hinted in a previous exclusive interview with The Direct last year that BioShock was "just waiting for [Lawrence] whenever Hunger Games is completed," which it finally will be when the dystopian epic releases in November.
Lawrence assured us that "we're getting close" and that the major difficulty in adapting a story like BioShock was taking the player character into account and "creating that character from scratch into that world:"
"I hope so. You know, it's tricky on a couple fronts. We're — I'm definitely active in it. We are still working on it. It is a tough nut to crack that world and that story, especially because it's... I mean, you are the character when you play the game, and so creating that character from scratch into that world that, you know, quite honestly, is pretty batshit in a most amazing way. It's tricky. So we're getting there, and we're getting close, which is great."
However, one wrinkle that could further delay production on BioShock is "the Netflix of it all" and the streaming service's recent major regime changes, with long-time Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria (who heavily championed Greta Gerwig's Chronicles of Narnia reboot) being replaced by former Disney and Fox executive Peter Rice. Not to mention, Head of Film Dan Lin has also been ousted, leading to a growing roster of rumored replacement contenders.
Lawrence is hopeful that it won't affect the production of BioShock, thankful that he wouldn't have to deal with "that kind of nonsense" himself:
"And I would love nothing more than to be able to make that movie. So still working on it. And then, you have also just the Netflix of it all because Netflix right now has had regime changes and just all of that kind of nonsense that I don't like to have to deal with or have to. So we'll see. Hopefully we'll figure it out."
When asked if it meant BioShock probably wouldn't be his next movie after Sunrise on the Reaping, Lawrence simply said, "You never know," and that it's like "horse races" when multiple movies are still in development. Major factors like "where the script is," scheduling for actors, and even shooting times could affect when which movie hits production first:
"You never know. I have to say, you never know. It's like weirdly, with next films, there's always these horse races when you're in development. And part of it has to do with where the script is. Part of it has to do with actor availabilities. There's all kinds of factors of things that come into play. Sometimes it's a seasonal thing where you have to hit this summer window to shoot somewhere. You just never know what's next."
Hopefully, BioShock wins that horse race and finally enters production after all these years of delays and studio changes. The filmmaker just recently signed on to helm a movie based on Pierce Brown's dystopian novel Red Rising for Paramount, alongside his former BioShock co-writer Justin Rhodes.
Curse of the Silent Protagonist
When Lawrence mentioned that BioShock was a "tough nut to crack" in relation to "you are the character when you play the game," it might refer to the fact that the player character in BioShock is Jack, a completely silent protagonist. That was common in that era of games, with him showing barely any signs of thoughts or motives as the player pilots him through the underwater city of Rapture.
Of course, in the context of BioShock's story, it makes sense for Jake to be a blank slate, but it's hardly enjoyable for audiences who aren't active participants in controlling him. However, Lawrence won't be the only director grappling with this problem, since Maze Runner director Wes Ball will be adapting one of the most famous silent protagonists in video games in The Legend of Zelda.
There's also always the chance that the protagonist of BioShock could be entirely original, since Lawrence also mentioned how they would be "creating that character from scratch." It's not even certain it will follow the exact plot of BioShock, since, for all we know, it could adapt Rapture before its fall and Jack's arrival.
