When BioShock first landed on our PlayStations, we were glued to the screen. An entire city beneath the ocean, hulking steampunk nightmares known as Big Daddies, and little girls harvesting a substance from the dead? Yeah, this was absolutely our kind of game.
The underwater city of Rapture was a twisted playground of science fiction, horror and failed utopian dreams, making it practically begging for a big-screen adaptation. When Guillermo del Toro was rumored to be involved in bringing the game to theaters, we were beyond excited. Unfortunately, that never happened, and del Toro has now revealed just how badly his discussions about adapting the game went.
In a recent interview, the filmmaker described conversations about adapting BioShock as among the most disastrous calls he had ever experienced, explaining that video games and movies approach storytelling very differently. So much for that dream.
Thankfully, there is still hope for the BioShock faithful. Director Francis Lawrence (Constantine, I Am Legend) has offered a fresh update on Netflix’s long-awaited adaptation, telling GamesRadar+ that the screenplay is getting close to completion.
“We’re still working on a script and I think we’re pretty close, and I’m feeling really good about it,” Lawrence said while promoting The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping.
He also made it clear that he remains eager to get the project off the ground, saying, “I’ve been like dying to. I’ve been working at it. I’ve been trying.”
WATCH THE 15TH ANNIVERSARY TRAILER FOR “BIOSHOCK” BELOW
Netflix first announced the film in 2022, partnering with game publisher 2K and parent company Take-Two Interactive, with Lawrence later signing on to direct. The movie is expected to draw from the original BioShock, which follows a plane-crash survivor who discovers Rapture, an underwater metropolis built on grand ambitions that have since collapsed into genetic experimentation, violence and madness.
For now, the screenplay is still being worked on, and no release date has been announced. Lawrence’s enthusiasm is encouraging, though we aren’t booking our tickets to Rapture just yet.
Hopefully, the next update brings us closer to finally seeing this underwater nightmare on the big screen.