It’s been a long road for Netflix’s BioShock movie, but director Francis Lawrence is still determined to bring the underwater nightmare of Rapture to life. After years of development delays and very little news, Lawrence has offered a promising update on the video game adaptation, revealing that the script is nearly finished.
While speaking with GamesRadar+ during press for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, Lawrence shared his enthusiasm for the project and confirmed that work is still moving forward.
“We’re still working on a script and I think we’re pretty close, and I’m feeling really good about it. Yeah, I would love to make it. I’ve been like dying to. I’ve been working at it. I’ve been trying.”
It’s great to hear that Lawrence hasn’t given up on BioShock, especially considering how long this movie has been trying to get off the ground.
Netflix first announced its live-action adaptation in 2022, with Lawrence eventually coming aboard to direct. Unfortunately, the Hollywood strikes and his commitments to The Hunger Games franchise have kept the project from making much progress.
The movie has also gone through some creative changes. In 2024, producer Roy Lee revealed that Netflix was scaling back its original ambitions, shifting toward a smaller-budget film with what he described to Variety as a “more personal point of view.”
That approach could actually work in the movie’s favor. BioShock has an incredible world, but much of what makes the game memorable comes from its disturbing atmosphere, twisted characters, and the horrifying consequences of a society that completely falls apart.
Lee has also confirmed that the Netflix adaptation will be based on the original 2007 game, which is exactly where this story should begin.
For those unfamiliar with the game, BioShock follows Jack, a plane crash survivor who discovers a hidden entrance to Rapture, an underwater city built as a utopia free from government control and conventional morality.
Unfortunately, things went horribly wrong. The discovery of ADAM, a genetic substance capable of granting superhuman abilities, helped turn Rapture into a violent, war-torn nightmare populated by genetically altered citizens and some seriously disturbing enemies.
It’s a fantastic setting for a horror-infused sci-fi movie, and seeing Rapture recreated in live action could be awesome if Netflix gets it right.
Beyond the confirmation that the film will adapt the first game, Netflix and gaming companies 2K and Take-Two Interactive are keeping story details under wraps. There’s still no word on casting, production dates, or when the movie might arrive on the streaming service.
I’ve wanted to see a proper live-action BioShock adaptation for years. Rapture is one of the coolest and most unsettling environments ever created for a video game, and there’s plenty of potential here for something special.
Hopefully, Netflix can finally get this thing into production because I’d love to see it brought to life.
