BioShock Film Adaptation Likely Delayed Past 2027

Netflix’s adaptation of BioShock is confirmed to follow the plot of the first game, though scheduling issues and ongoing script development make a release before 2027 improbable. Producer Roy Lee has said that director Francis Lawrence remains committed but tied up with other projects, meaning actual work on BioShock is likely to begin only after Lawrence completes The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, slated for November 2026.

The script is undergoing refinements: Michael Green, known for contributions such as Blade Runner 2049, wrote an earlier version, while Justin Rhodes is adjusting later drafts. Budget reductions at Netflix, following internal leadership changes, have prompted a shift toward a more character-driven version of the film rather than a blockbuster-scale spectacle.

Lawrence’s current workload includes Sunrise on the Reaping, which is in production in Spain, targeting a November 2026 release. He is also finishing The Long Walk, based on Stephen King’s novel. Lee noted that BioShock was delayed so that Lawrence could complete these commitments, adding that the project “is just waiting for him whenever the ‘Hunger Games’ is completed, and the script is just being worked on right now.”

Despite these delays, there’s reassurance for fans. Lee explicitly confirmed that the movie will be based on the 2007 original BioShock—the underwater dystopia of Rapture, the moral themes of player choice and consequences.

Filming is expected to begin only after Sunrise on the Reaping is completed, which suggests production will likely start in late 2026 or earliest in early 2027. Given the various stages still pending—final script approval, casting, set preparation, and editing—a release in late 2027 or possibly even later seems more likely than an earlier arrival.