The long-awaited BioShock movie from Netflix is officially adapting the first game in the iconic series, but you’ll have to wait a while longer to visit the underwater city of Rapture. Producer Roy Lee has confirmed the film’s narrative focus while also revealing that production is on hold until director Francis Lawrence completes his work on The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, which isn’t scheduled for release until November 2026.
First announced by Netflix and 2K in 2022, details about the project have been scarce. In an interview with The Direct, Lee stated that while Netflix wants to keep details under wraps, the movie “is definitely going to be based on the first BioShock game,” as reported by Kotaku. This puts to rest speculation that the film might draw from BioShock Infinite or tell an entirely new story within the universe.
Would You Kindly Wait a Few More Years?
The primary reason for the extended wait is the packed schedule of its director. Francis Lawrence (Constantine, I Am Legend) is currently committed to directing the new Hunger Games prequel, which is set to hit theaters in late 2026. Lee confirmed that the BioShock film is “just waiting for him whenever the Hunger Games is completed,” effectively pushing the start of production to 2027 at the earliest.
Stuck in Development Hell
The director’s schedule isn’t the only hurdle the project has faced. The film was previously delayed due to the need for “some more script work,” a pause so significant it allowed Lawrence to direct an entirely different movie, the Stephen King adaptation The Long Walk, in the interim. According to GameSpot, the script, with Michael Green (Logan, Blade Runner 2049) attached, is still “just being worked on right now.”
This adaptation has also navigated internal shakeups at its streaming home. Lawrence previously confirmed that “regime changes at Netflix” in 2024 led to budget cuts and caused the project to stall and be re-energized multiple times. Despite calling it a “tricky adaptation,” particularly in translating the game’s themes of player choice to a passive medium, Lawrence believes the film is now in a “pretty good place.”