Why Bioshock's Movie Took So Long - Development Hell Timeline Explained

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BioShock was a beloved video game that was slated for a big-screen adaptation several times, before ending up in development hell: here was how it finally found a home with Netflix. The series was considered ripe for adaptation due to its compelling plot, unique setting, and interesting characters. However, despite numerous attempts to get it off the ground, the citizens of Rapture simply couldn't find a home with the traditional Hollywood film studios. It was only in 2022 that it was announced that a film based on the first game would finally be released, helmed by powerhouse streaming service Netflix.

BioShock was a first-person shooter on the Xbox 360 and PS3. The game was marveled at and received exceptional ratings from critics across the board for its fantastic story and beautifully dark world. The game took place in the undersea city of Rapture, a proposed utopia based on the philosophy of Ayn Rand. However, due to the immense leaps in scientific technology, the citizens started injecting themselves with "Plasmids": superpowers in the form of a liquid drug known as "ADAM". By the time the player character, Jack Wynand, arrived, the city had already torn itself apart after a bloody civil war, with its once intelligent residents reduced to drug-addled monsters known as "Splicers". The game was followed by two sequels: a direct follow-up known as BioShock 2, and an ambitious third game that took place in a different universe in a city floating in the sky known as Columbia. This was called BioShock Infinite and though it seemed to be its own story, its main characters eventually crossed over into Rapture in its downloadable additional adventure, Burial at Sea.

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