Netflix's BioShock Movie Still In Development Despite Its Budget Reduced

Following the announcement that streaming service giant Netflix will be adapting Irrational Games' first-person shooter series BioShock as a feature film, little has been made regarding the film's production. This changed recently during a panel discussion at San Diego Comic-Con 2024, during which the film's producer provided an update on the film's status.

The film adaptation was announced in 2022, and Netflix has partnered with publishers 2K and Take-Two Interactive to move the project forward. However, given recent comments, the film is still moving forward despite recent changes at Netflix and the film's overall budget, according to a Variety report.

During a recent panel discussion at San Diego Comic-Con 2024, the BioShock film's producer, Roy Lee, revealed that the film is still ongoing but has been impacted by recent adjustments. Lee added that the film is currently being "reconfigured" to be more personalized following a change of guard at Netflix, with Dan Lin taking the helm as the new Head of Film at the streaming service.

Since Lin's appointment, The New York Times has reported that he made some significant changes at Netflix, including layoffs and recategorizing its department by genre. These changes allowed Lin to restructure Netflix's film department with a new mandated focus on quality and producing more variety "at different budget levels" to cater to their subscribers.

"The new regime has lowered the budgets. So we're doing a much smaller version. … It's going to be a more personal point of view, as opposed to a grander, big project," Lee explained. Despite the budget cut, the film is still going forward and has retained The Hunger Games series director Francis Lawrence at the helm.