‘BioShock’ Director Says Netflix’s Leadership Shake-Up Is Complicating the Movie, but He Hasn’t Given Up

Few video game adaptations have spent as long in limbo as ‘BioShock.’ The underwater city of Rapture is one of gaming’s most striking settings, and fans have waited years to see it on screen. Every few months, a new update arrives, and every time the question is whether this will finally be the one that gets cameras rolling.

The history is long. Universal acquired the rights back in May 2008 and failed to produce a film. In 2022, Netflix announced it had partnered with 2K and Take-Two Interactive to make a live-action version, with Francis Lawrence signing on to direct.

Now Lawrence has offered a fresh, candid update in an exclusive conversation with The Direct. He says the streamer’s recent leadership changes have affected the film’s development, and he isn’t sure how it will play out.

Lawrence told The Direct that the shake-ups at Netflix are a wrinkle he would rather not have to deal with, and that the situation is still unresolved. His closing line was a simple one: “Hopefully we’ll figure it out.” He also described adapting the game’s world and story as a tough nut to crack.

It’s a notable admission from a director who has been attached since 2022. He has also said before that regime changes at Netflix cause things to stall out and get re-energized, then stall out and get re-energized again.

The changes he refers to are significant. Long-time Chief Content Officer Bela Bajaria, who heavily championed Greta Gerwig’s ‘Chronicles of Narnia’ reboot, is being replaced by former Disney and Fox executive Peter Rice. Head of Film Dan Lin has also been ousted, and a growing list of rumored replacements is circulating.

Lin had taken over from Scott Stuber as head of film after the project was first announced. That means ‘BioShock’ has now outlasted multiple film chiefs at the streamer.

The project has changed shape along the way. In July 2024, producers Roy Lee and Lawrence said the budget had been scaled down, moving away from a sprawling $200 million blockbuster toward something more personal and atmospheric. Lee has said the new regime lowered the budgets.

Michael Green wrote an earlier version of the script, and Justin Rhodes, who wrote ‘Terminator: Dark Fate,’ later began working with Lawrence on it. Lee has also confirmed the movie will be based on the first ‘BioShock’ game. Lawrence has said he looks to ‘The Shining’ for inspiration, because the story reads to him like a haunted house.

There have been encouraging signs recently. Earlier this month, Lawrence told GamesRadar+ during the press tour for ‘The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping’ that the script was pretty close and that he felt good about it. He said he would love to make the film and has been trying to get it going.

Even so, no production start or casting has been announced. Earlier in 2026, reports suggested that filming would not begin before early 2027, partly because of Lawrence’s schedule.

When asked whether the delay meant ‘BioShock’ probably wouldn’t be his next movie after ‘Sunrise on the Reaping,’ Lawrence replied that you never know. He compared the situation to horse races, with several movies in development and one of them eventually pulling ahead. It’s a very Hollywood way of saying nothing is guaranteed.

‘Sunrise on the Reaping’ arrives in theaters on November 20, and Lawrence has been finishing post-production. After that, ‘BioShock’ could return to the top of his list, but only if the studio and script align.

For fans, the update is mixed. On one hand, the director clearly still wants to make the film and says the script is close. On the other, the instability at Netflix adds one more obstacle to a project that has already survived budget cuts, writer changes and scheduling problems.

If the film does get made, it will arrive with an unusual amount of anticipation. Rapture has waited a long time, and so have the people who want to see it.

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