New Cyberpunk 2077 Film Won’t Retell the Game’s Story

CD Projekt Red has confirmed that the upcoming live-action Cyberpunk 2077 project will not be a direct adaptation of the game’s core narrative. Following the announcement that the developers are partnering with Paramount Pictures to bring the franchise to the big screen, clarity has emerged regarding the creative direction of the project.

According to a report by Rock Paper Shotgun, which cites an interview with CD Projekt Red joint-CEO Michał Nowakowski published by the business site PAP Biznes, the studio is intentionally moving away from a “one-to-one translation” of the source material. Nowakowski stated that the team decided to pursue a “new formula” for the live-action project. While the film will be set within the established Cyberpunk world, it will not serve as a beat-for-beat retelling of V’s journey or the specific plotline featuring Johnny Silverhand.

A New Direction for Night City

This approach mirrors the success of the studio’s previous foray into multimedia storytelling, the anime series Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, which successfully told a standalone story within the established setting rather than adapting the game’s primary quests. By avoiding a direct translation, the production team gains the freedom to explore different facets of Night City, potentially sidestepping the pacing issues often associated with compressing massive, open-world role-playing games into a traditional film runtime. This creative choice also prevents the production from conflicting with the diverse, player-defined outcomes and headcanons established by those who played through the game.

Why it matters

For fans of the franchise, this news is significant because it shifts expectations away from a predictable re-enactment of the game’s events toward a fresh, original story. By confirming that the film is not a literal adaptation, CD Projekt Red is signaling a focus on world-building rather than simple recreation, which has historically been a point of friction for game-to-film projects. Players should look forward to further updates as the partnership with Paramount progresses, with the studio previously noting that more information will be shared at an appropriate time in the future.