BioShock Movie Still in Development, Director Calls It a 'Tough Nut to Crack'

Ever wondered what Rapture would look like on the big screen? You're not alone. Director Francis Lawrence is still trying to make that happen, but he's the first to admit it's not easy.

In a recent chat with The Direct, Lawrence confirmed he's "definitely active" on the BioShock movie for Netflix. But he also warned that "it's tricky on a couple fronts." The biggest challenge? Turning a first-person game into a film. "You are the character when you play the game, and so creating that character from scratch into that world that, you know, quite honestly, is pretty batsh** in a most amazing way," he explained. "It is a tough nut to crack, that world and that story."

The project has been through some changes. Originally planned as a large-scale production, the BioShock movie was scaled back when Netflix film chief Dan Lin came on board. But Lin recently left Netflix amid a major shakeup, along with longtime chief content officer Bela Bajaria. Former Disney and Fox executive Peter Rice is now the new chief content officer, and Lawrence hopes the management changes don't affect the movie too much. "I would love nothing more than to be able to make that movie," he said. "So still working on it. And then, you have also just the Netflix of it all because Netflix right now has had regime changes and just all of that kind of nonsense that I don't like to have to deal with."

So when will we actually see it? Lawrence isn't sure. His next project is The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, hitting theaters in November. When asked if BioShock would be his next film after that, he played it coy: "You never know." He compared juggling multiple projects to a "horse race" where the script, talent availability, and production realities all need to line up.

Interestingly, producer Roy Lee previously said the BioShock movie is planned to coincide with the release of a new BioShock game. Lee didn't name titles, but Take-Two has repeatedly said the long-in-development BioShock 4 will eventually see the light of day. So maybe the movie and game could launch together? That would be a big deal for fans.

For now, the BioShock movie remains in development at Netflix, but it's far from a sure thing. Lawrence is hopeful, but he knows Hollywood is unpredictable. "We're getting there, and we're getting close, which is great," he said. Will you be keeping an eye on this one? What do you think—can a BioShock movie ever live up to the games? Let us know in the comments!