CD Projekt Red Says Live-Action Cyberpunk Film Will Tell a New Story

Night City offers more room for a live-action Cyberpunk film than a direct retelling of Cyberpunk 2077. CD Projekt Red co-CEO Michał Nowakowski says the project will tell a story in the game’s world, but won’t reproduce its plot scene for scene. That choice gives the filmmakers room to build around the setting’s established identity while leaving the game’s central events intact.

The distinction matters because an adaptation can do more than transfer familiar scenes to a new format. A film that follows the game closely would invite constant comparison over what it keeps, cuts, or changes. An original story in the same world faces a different test: it has to feel recognisably Cyberpunk without depending on viewers already knowing the game’s plot.

The film was announced earlier this month as a collaboration between CDPR and Paramount Pictures. Paramount is set to handle the adaptation, with Lorenzo di Bonaventura attached as producer. Beyond those details, the project’s plot and cast have yet to be revealed. That leaves the announcement short on specifics, but clear on one creative boundary: the film won’t be a one-to-one version of the game.

For now, that boundary is more concrete than any description of the film itself. There’s no disclosed protagonist, time period, or indication of how closely the film will connect to characters audiences already know. The project’s creative direction will depend on those choices, and the announcement doesn’t answer them.

Speaking to Polish publication PAP Biznes, in an interview translated by GamesRadar, Nowakowski said: “At this point, we can only say that we definitely don't want to make a film adaptation of the game. We want to tell a story in the world of Cyberpunk, but it won't be a one-to-one translation of the game's story.” The wording leaves open how much the film may share with the game beyond its world. It also makes clear that CDPR doesn’t want the adaptation judged simply as a compressed replay.

Night City beyond the game’s plot

Cyberpunk 2077’s story is cinematic and emotionally driven, making it a natural candidate for another screen format. But a feature film has its own demands: it needs to establish its characters and stakes within a limited runtime, while a game can build its story through play and sustained exploration. Recreating the same plot could preserve familiar beats yet lose some of the experience that gave those beats weight.

Night City can support stories beyond the game’s central narrative, as the animated series Cyberpunk: Edgerunners has shown. That example gives the film a precedent for using the setting as a foundation rather than treating one game’s plot as the only story worth telling. The approach can help the franchise feel broader, provided the new story has a clear identity of its own.

Here’s the thing: a familiar setting is an asset, but it can also become a shortcut. If the film leans only on recognisable imagery and references, it may look like Cyberpunk without giving audiences a compelling reason to care about its particular characters. The harder work is making the world matter to the story, rather than using it as decoration. And this is the part most people overlook: originality alone doesn’t guarantee a strong adaptation.

What the film needs to establish

A fresh plot gives the film a chance to expand the Cyberpunk universe while letting audiences see another part of Night City. That can serve both newcomers, who may need no knowledge of the game, and existing fans, who’ll want the film to respect the world they know. If you're working in this space, that balance is familiar: a franchise can welcome new audiences without discarding the details that made it distinctive.

A live-action appearance by Keanu Reeves as Johnny Silverhand might appeal to fans, but CDPR’s comments point toward a different approach. They don’t rule out familiar characters, though, and the company hasn’t said whether the film will include them. For now, speculation about casting can’t answer the more basic question of what kind of story the filmmakers intend to tell.

This is more significant than it looks. Choosing a new plot sets expectations for the film’s relationship with the game: it can share the same world and themes while building its own dramatic centre. That said, the project still has to prove that the setting can carry a live-action story beyond the audience’s affection for the game.

The film’s defining question now is which new story its creators will choose to tell. A city full of possibilities. The plot and cast remain undisclosed, so any stronger claims about the film’s direction would be guesswork.