BIOSHOCK Netflix Movie Still ‘Definitely’ Based on First Game

Speaking to The Direct (which we saw via IGN), producer Roy Lee said, “Netflix wants us to keep everything under wraps. But it’s definitely going to be based on the first BioShock game.” Lee went on to explain that, due to the initial delays, he and Lawrence made other movies in the interim, so when they finish, BioShock is back on the top of the pile.

“BioShock was delayed for a little bit where we had to do some more script work,” Lee said. “And so as the script work is being done, we shot The Long Walk, and he was already committed to doing the next Hunger Games movie. And so it’s just waiting for him whenever the Hunger Games is completed,” Lee added, “and the script is just being worked on right now.”

BioShock, from Ken Levine, is a sci-fi mystery about an unnamed protagonist in 1960 whose plane crashes over the ocean only to find an elevator to an opulent, art deco city underwater. But as gorgeous as it looks, it’s anything but idyllic. The brainchild of Randian business mogul Andrew Ryan, the city Rapture allowed rampant capitalism, exceptionalism, individualism, and Objectivism. Scientists developed genetic upgrades which naturally turned most of the populace into insane nightmare monsters. The player character has to piece together the mystery of their own past, what happened in the city, and avoid the terrifying Big Daddies who can pretty much kill you on sight.

BioShock was a massive sea change for narrative games in 2007 and spawned both a direct sequel, 2010’s BioShock 2, and a thematic continuation, 2013’s BioShock Infinite.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. He hosts the weekly pop culture deep-dive podcast Laser Focus. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Letterboxd.