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Over the last few years, video games have represented the next great IP gold mine for movie studios.
Virtually all of the major studios are now in the video game adaptation space, including Netflix, which is developing a BioShock film from I Am Legend and Constantine director Francis Lawrence.
Speaking to our Post Credit Podcast ahead of the release of his new film The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, Lawrence provided an update on the highly-anticipated project, revealing that he thinks the script is “really good and really exciting.”
“Before the strike, when we were working, that was the project I hoped was far enough along that we could have started the research phase. But I will say that we have a draft that I’m really, really happy with and truly love. Michael Green, who has been a friend of mine and wrote Blade Runner 2049 did it and I think it’s really good and really exciting,” Lawrence said.
After our expressing our excitement about where the script is at, we then asked Lawrence if he had discussions with any actors prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike.
“No, not yet. No actor discussions or anything like that yet,” Lawrence said. “We wanted to crack it. You know, what’s great, you being a fan of it, is that BioShock has an amazing game and an incredible world with an extraordinary mythology. There’s a detailed mythology, history, and backstory that is fantastic. The truth is, you have to create a character, right? So we wanted to spend the time to ensure we cracked it, worked in the mythology, and stayed true to the spirit of the game, much like adapting a book. I think we really nailed it.”
What makes BioShock particularly interesting, however, is while there are three games in the franchise, the first and second differ greatly from the third, which prompted us to wonder how much the latter would be incorporated.
“With BioShock 1 & 2, creating that world is reason enough to sign up, right? But BioShock Infinite, the third game, is one of the best gaming experiences I’ve ever had, one of the best narrative gaming experiences I’ve ever had. The lead character in that, Booker DeWitt, seems ready-made for a cinematic lead. Are you incorporating the third game into this, or are you taking it game by game?” we asked.
Lawrence replied: “Not necessarily. We’re starting with the first one. The original game is where we begin. There have been no talks yet about how it’s going to continue or in what way it’s going to continue. But there are plenty of possibilities with this as a possible launch of a franchise. You can explore many different directions, including TV, film, animation, and more. But we’re starting with the original.”
Given that Lawrence indicated development was moving along at a promising pace prior to the strike, it’s likely that BioShock is the project he’ll begin working on next once he wraps up his Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes duty.
Hitting movie theaters in the United States on Friday, November 17, The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes stars Rachel Zegler, Tom Blythe, Peter Dinklage, Hunter Schafer, Josh Andrés Rivera, Jason Schwartzman, and Viola Davis.