For years, Hollywood has chased the dream of translating beloved video games into movies, with mixed results. But one of the most acclaimed games of all time has remained stubbornly resistant to adaptation—until now. Director Francis Lawrence has offered a fresh update on Netflix's long-gestating BioShock film, and it sounds like progress is finally being made.
Speaking exclusively with The Direct while promoting The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, Lawrence confirmed he's still actively developing the project. "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," he said. The director acknowledged that the game's unique narrative structure poses a challenge: "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."
For the uninitiated, BioShock drops players into the role of Jack, a silent protagonist exploring the underwater city of Rapture. Built as a haven for society's brightest minds, Rapture has collapsed into a dystopian nightmare fueled by one man's hubris. The waterlogged ruins are now home to deranged Splicers who hunt the Little Sisters—children protected by hulking Big Daddies. Survival depends on quick thinking, scavenged weapons, and Plasmids that grant superhuman abilities. To conquer Rapture's horrors, you must become one of them.
Lawrence also hinted at another hurdle beyond the screenplay: internal shifts at Netflix. "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," he explained. Despite these obstacles, the filmmaker remains committed. "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... So we'll see. Hopefully we'll figure it out."
The project was first announced in 2022, with Netflix partnering with 2K and Take-Two Interactive. But this isn't the first attempt to bring BioShock to the big screen—Universal Pictures acquired the rights back in 2008, but that version eventually fell apart. Now, with Lawrence at the helm, fans are cautiously optimistic.
While waiting for more news, you can revisit some of Netflix's other sci-fi offerings, like this ranked list of sci-fi series that never missed. And if you're in the mood for more video game adaptations, Netflix has also set a November 2026 streaming date for its original Resident Evil films.
Stay tuned for more updates on BioShock as they surface.
