Cyberpunk 2077 Movie Won't Be a Direct Adaptation, CD Projekt Confirms

Ever wonder what a Cyberpunk 2077 movie would look like if it didn't just follow V's story? Well, you're about to find out. CD Projekt Red has confirmed that the upcoming live-action film won't be a straight adaptation of the game. Instead, it'll tell a brand-new story set in the same Cyberpunk universe.

Co-CEO Michał Nowakowski told Polish outlet PAP Biznes, via GamesRadar, "At this point, we can only say that we definitely don't want to make a film adaptation of the game. We want to tell a story in the world of Cyberpunk, but it won't be a one-to-one translation of the game's story." So don't expect a shot-for-shot retelling of V's journey with Johnny Silverhand.

The movie is being made in partnership with Paramount, which is now under the Skydance banner after the recent merger. Producing is Lorenzo di Bonaventura, known for the live-action Transformers films. That's a pretty big name, so expectations are high.

For those who played the game, V's story is iconic: a freelance mercenary who gets a mysterious computer chip stuck in their brain and ends up haunted by the digital ghost of Keanu Reeves' Johnny Silverhand. It's a wild ride, but it sounds like the film will chart its own course. Maybe we'll get a prequel about Silverhand? A girl can dream.

The Cyberpunk universe, created by tabletop RPG designer Mike Pondsmith, is vast enough to support all kinds of original stories. It's fertile ground for exploring themes of identity, autonomy, and the self—like a Ship of Theseus that keeps getting modified and reprinted. That's the kind of deep stuff Cyberpunk does best.

This approach mirrors what CDPR did with the anime. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners felt like a faithful multimedia project within the world—featuring locations and characters from the game—but it told a fresh story about original characters in its dystopian posthuman hellscape. And good news: Edgerunners Season 2 hits Netflix on October 20. If you haven't seen it, now's the time to catch up.

In other CD Projekt news, the studio recently announced that work has begun on Project Hadar, its first game in an original universe. Previously, they've only played in worlds created by others—The Witcher from novels, Cyberpunk from a tabletop RPG. Plus, The Witcher 3 just got a remaster on consoles and PC, though it had some visual issues (looking at you, heavy bloom) that CDPR quickly addressed. And yes, Cyberpunk 2 is in the works, but it's probably years away.

So, what do you think? Are you excited for a new story in the Cyberpunk universe, or were you hoping to see V's tale on the big screen? Let us know in the comments!