2K’s latest foray on the big screen with Borderlands has been a masterclass on what a video game movie shouldn’t be, but that doesn’t mean their next attempt will suffer the same fate.
BioShock is the next 2K Games property to get the movie treatment, but unlike Borderlands, this Netflix film looks primed with the right pieces to succeed.
From its very core, Borderlands‘ biggest problem is the dismissal of its source material, and that doesn’t just mean telling a different story. In this case, the movie completely ignores key features of the games, instead choosing to sprinkle a handful of member berries in a poor attempt to inspire some familiarity. This choice primed the film for failure even before getting to its questionable casting choices and career-worst performances, but for BioShock, things are already looking brighter.
Netflix Is Assembling the Perfect Team
Netflix’s BioShock film is set to be directed by Francis Lawrence. If that name means nothing to you then you’ve probably never watched The Hunger Games, and if that’s the case you’re truly missing out. Setting aside your feelings about Katniss and her fight for freedom, these movies show Lawrence’s mastery when adapting an already-established story for the big screen.
Before it was a movie, The Hunger Games was a novel series written by Suzanne Collins. While some films can drastically stray from their source material, The Hunger Games stays mostly true, even going as far as to provide further context that isn’t shared due to the perspective of the books. This is exactly what BioShock needs.
Lawrence hasn’t just done this for The Hunger Games, the director also made I Am Legend which is another example of bringing the book to screen, and while more drastic changes were made in this case, the core story remained intact.
BioShock doesn’t need to be a one-for-one telling of the first game, but it MUST have all of the important lore and gameplay key points. Seriously, Borderlands is a game series that highlights gunplay yet the movie spends almost no time at all exploring weapons. It’s a tragic misfire…
Further bolstering our hopes for BioShock and providing support to Lawrence is writer Michael Green. Like Lawrence, Green also has plenty of experience playing within franchises. Some of his most notable credits include Logan and Blade Runner 2049—we’ve just chosen to omit Green Lantern from these examples for obvious reasons. Again, these are examples where Green took an existing universe and told a story while maintaining respect for the franchise.
BioShock Has All of the Potential to Be Something Great
If Borderlands has you scared we completely understand, but we’d suggest trying to muster up some optimism. There are plenty of examples of great video game productions, especially in recent years including The Last of Us, Fallout, and even The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
With any luck and some careful planning on Netflix’s end, BioShock could be the next film to join the ranks of success stories and avoid meeting Borderlands in the garbage dump of movie history.
Netflix’s BioShock movie is coming soon—hopefully with positive reviews from critics and fans alike.