Cyberpunk 2077 movie in the works at Paramount as Xbox launches XP film and TV division
Paramount is developing a Cyberpunk 2077 movie, a live-action film set in the world of CD Projekt Red’s hit game, Deadline reported on 8 October. On the same day, Xbox announced XP, a new division set up to turn games such as Halo, Fallout and Call of Duty into films, TV shows and theme-park attractions. Together, the two announcements show how keen Hollywood has become on video games. Here is what each one involves.
By Editorial Team
What we know
- The film (REPORTED). Paramount Pictures is developing a live-action film set in the Cyberpunk 2077 universe, Deadline reports as an exclusive. Variety, TheWrap and The Verge have reported the same news.
- The producers (REPORTED). Lorenzo di Bonaventura, the producer behind the Transformers films, is attached. He will produce alongside CD Projekt Red, the Polish studio that made the game and owns the franchise.
- The story (REPORTED). The film will be set in the same universe as the game but will not necessarily retell its plot, Deadline says. No writer, director or cast has been announced.
- The game’s sales (FACT, company figures). Cyberpunk 2077 has sold more than 40 million copies, and its expansion, Phantom Liberty, has sold 15 million, according to figures reported by Deadline.
- Xbox’s new division (FACT). Xbox has created XP, short for “Experience Points”. It will look after film and TV adaptations, merchandise, brand partnerships and live attractions, according to a memo from Xbox chief executive Asha Sharma that The Hollywood Reporter has seen.
What the Cyberpunk 2077 movie is based on
The game is set in Night City, a violent city in a future version of California. Players control V, a mercenary who ends up with a chip in their head that holds a digital copy of Johnny Silverhand, a rock star and terrorist. In the game, Keanu Reeves plays Silverhand. As Silverhand’s personality starts to take over, the two have to work together to save V’s life. That puts them up against Arasaka, the corporation that effectively runs the city.
Cyberpunk 2077 had a famously rough launch in 2020, when bugs on older consoles led to refunds. CD Projekt Red spent the next few years fixing the game. The Phantom Liberty expansion in 2023 and the Netflix anime Cyberpunk: Edgerunners won many players back. That comeback is part of why a studio now sees the game as a film franchise.
Fans will ask whether Keanu Reeves will return. Nothing has been announced, and we have seen no report that he is involved. Treat any claim online that he is attached as rumour until Paramount or CD Projekt Red says otherwise.
Paramount’s games strategy
The Cyberpunk 2077 movie joins a crowded Paramount slate. Its Street Fighter film, made with Legendary, opens on 16 October. A Call of Duty film directed by Peter Berg, who is writing it with Taylor Sheridan, has a 2028 release date, Deadline reports. Sonic the Hedgehog 4 is set for March.
This is also one of the first major film announcements from Paramount since the Skydance merger closed. We covered the deal in our report on the merger closing, and our guide to the Skydance leadership team explains who now makes these calls.
What Xbox XP is, and what it is not
XP is not a film studio. The division will match Xbox franchises with production companies, rather than making films and series itself. It will be run by Kayleen Walters, who was president of Mojang, the studio behind Minecraft, and was an executive producer of A Minecraft Movie. She spent 13 years at Lucasfilm before that.
According to Sharma’s memo, XP has four parts: Xbox Pictures for film and TV, Xbox Products for licensing and merchandise, Xbox Partnerships for sponsors, and Xbox Places for events and theme parks. Maria Angelidou-Smith, a former chief product officer at Reddit, will replace Walters as head of Mojang from 19 October.
The model is A Minecraft Movie. Sharma’s memo calls it “the biggest film in the U.S. last year”. A sequel is in production, and a Minecraft theme park is planned for 2027. Other Xbox projects already in the works include season three of Amazon’s Fallout series, a Diablo animated series for Netflix and the Call of Duty film.
Why this matters
Game adaptations used to be a joke in Hollywood. They are now among the most dependable box-office bets, and the numbers are why studios are paying for the rights. Our guide to how box office numbers work explains how to read the figures that will decide whether the Cyberpunk film gets made.
It also matters to African audiences. Gaming is one of the fastest-growing forms of entertainment among young Nigerians. Our report on the Lagos Life game passing 3 million players shows how big that audience can be.
What we do not know yet
There is no release date for the Cyberpunk 2077 movie, and no screenwriter has been named. Neither Paramount nor CD Projekt Red has said what the budget is. Xbox has not named which new film or TV projects XP will announce first.
What happens next
- 16 October: Paramount’s Street Fighter opens. Its box office will show how much audiences want game films right now.
- 19 October: Maria Angelidou-Smith starts as head of Mojang.
- We will report when the Cyberpunk film names a writer, director or star.
More global entertainment news: International Entertainment.
Photo credits: Featured image: The Cyberpunk 2077 stand at the Poznań Game Arena, 2019. Photo: Klapi, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Source. In-article image: Keanu Reeves, who voices Johnny Silverhand in the game, at San Diego Comic-Con, 2024. Photo: Chris Roth, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0). Source.
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