Alex Garland Claims Bioshock and Doom Adaptations Are Long Overdue!

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Summary

  • Alex Garland advocates for a ‘Bioshock’ or ‘Doom’ adaptation to the big screen.
  • ‘Bioshock’ adaptation faced challenges, from Verbinski to Netflix’s upcoming iteration.
  • ‘Doom’ adaptations failed to resonate with fans, no recent progress on TV series or films.

Discussing recent video game adaptations that seem to be breaking a long-standing curse in the genre, both gamers and filmmakers are expressing their preferences for upcoming projects. Although some game adaptations either didn’t materialize or fell short of expectations, fans of Bioshock and Doom have been particularly vocal about their desires.

It seems that Alex Garland, the director known for films like “Annihilation” and “Civil War,” and writer of horror movies including “Sunshine,” “28 Days Later,” and the forthcoming sequel “28 Years Later,” is one of the enthusiastic fans calling for faithful adaptations of these properties.

During a Reddit AMA to publicize his latest movie “Warfare”, Garland was asked which video games he thought would make good films. He mentioned that both “Bioshock” and “Doom” are ripe for adaptation. He also hinted at potential projects, saying, “I’ve heard rumors of a Bioshock movie or TV series in development… so let’s hope for the best.

Is there a Bioshock adaptation in the works?

It’s uncertain which version of the Bioshock franchise that Garland has been involved with, but the game has gone through one of the most intricate development phases among video game adaptations.

In 2008, when the original Bioshock game was launched, Gore Verbinski, known for directing Pirates of the Caribbean, was initially associated with a Bioshock movie. However, the project went through a challenging production process as Verbinski departed and was replaced by Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, who is famous for directing 28 Weeks Later, a sequel to Garland’s acclaimed horror film.

Ultimately, the planned movie adaptation faced cancellation in 2013, as confirmed by game creator Ken Levine. The primary issues causing this breakdown were reportedly disputes over the movie’s high budget and R-rating. Despite Guillermo Del Toro initially being linked to the project, he expressed in 2017 that Gore Verbinski would have been ideal for a Bioshock film adaptation, and he remains hopeful about seeing such a project realized someday.

More recently, in the year 2022, Netflix unveiled plans for a Bioshock movie, collaborating with 2k Interactive. Michael Green (Blade Runner 2049) and Francis Lawrence (The Hunger Games) were already on board as writer and director respectively. The latest word on this production came from Lawrence in February, indicating that he was still involved. In the year 2024, producer Roy Lee mentioned that due to changes in Netflix’s leadership, the project would be a smaller-budgeted one compared to initial plans. It would focus more on a personal perspective rather than a large-scale production.

As a movie connoisseur, I find myself puzzled about the film’s backdrop. The intriguing question arises whether it’s set within the legendary underwater metropolis of Rapture, the stage for the first two games in this series, or perhaps in Colombia, the retro-futuristic airborne colony that graced our screens in BioShock: Infinite, the latest installment released back in 2013.

After being on hiatus for over a decade, this series presents an excellent opportunity for a new instalment. Although another main game is under development, a movie adaptation could generate significant interest in a franchise that hasn’t received an update since the release of Bioshock: The Collection in 2016.

The troubled history of Doom adaptations

In a different twist, Garland’s alternative selection isn’t new to large-scale movie adaptations; however, many Doom enthusiasts found these efforts fell short of their expectations.

2005’s “Doom” movie was often viewed as just another action film starring The Rock, with little connection to the atmosphere or style of the popular game series. It underperformed financially, earning less than its production costs globally, and now holds a 18% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. Despite praise for its first-person action scenes and Karl Urban’s performance, it fell short as a faithful adaptation for a renowned franchise like “Doom”.

In the following endeavor, the movie titled “Doom: Annihilation” from 2019 didn’t perform significantly well, neither critically nor financially. The film was directly released for video sales, earning less than $100,000 compared to its production budget of $5 million. Additionally, it only garnered a 43% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. As for further Doom adaptations, the last update was about a TV series announced in 2020 that would be linked to “Doom: Annihilation”, but it seems this project has since halted its progress.

After the triumph of the 2016 revamp and sequel, Doom: Eternal, fans believed that the contemporary, refurbished concept of the series would make an excellent basis for a new interpretation. However, it was reported that game directors were neither consulted nor involved in the development process.

Is Alex Garland involved in any video game adaptations?

Alex Garland, who has a rich background in gaming, has worked as a writer for games like “DMC: Devil May Cry” from 2013 and “Enslaved: Odyssey to the West”. In the same Q&A, he mentioned that he’s on his sixth playthrough of the expansion “Shadow of the Erdtree” in Elden Ring, demonstrating his continued love for gaming. During this session, enthusiasts couldn’t help but wonder about the possibility of an Alex Garland-directed “Bioshock” film, with one fan expressing, “A Alex Garland Bioshock movie would be fantastic”.

Even though there’s currently a lot on Garland’s schedule for future productions, he doesn’t appear to be planning a Bioshock or Doom movie right now. Alongside his upcoming film Warfare, it’s been confirmed that the upcoming 28 Years Later is just the beginning of a trilogy he will write, so it’s clear that he’s quite occupied at the moment.

Considering the history of development with Bioshock, there’s a good chance that the adaptation may still be underway even after Garland finishes writing the scripts for his trilogy. Fans can merely cross their fingers and hope that the cherished series receives an adaptation worthy of its reputation.

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2025-04-11 20:12