For generations now science fiction has been the domain of writers who want to look through speculative lenses at the state of human civilization, both in the present and the future. And is there any subgenre that exemplifies that better than cyberpunk? When William Gibson first published Neuromancer back in 1984, he had no way of knowing that it would lead to the rise of an entire literary movement defined by overpopulated neon-lit megacities, slowly encroaching mega-corporations, and transhumanist applications of technology. Over 40 years later, that movement has transcended the pages of literature and become one of the most predominant genres in all fiction — works like Akira, The Matrix, System Shock, and Ghost in the Shell are all foundational examples of it in other mediums.In terms of video games specifically, this decade has given us one of the most high-profile works within the genre: the appropriately named Cyberpunk 2077. An immersive action RPG from Polish game studio CD Projekt Red (the team behind The Witcher series), Cyberpunk 2077 was one of the most anticipated games ever when it was first announced back in 2012. But, when it finally released 8 years later after numerous delays, it was met with a mixed response; while its worldbuilding was highly praised, the actual game suffered from countless bugs and glitches at launch. In the years since, however, the game has undergone a reappraisal (spurred on by CD Projekt Red retroactively fixing many of those issues), becoming cherished in its own right as well as one of the best-selling video games ever — and its retroactive success has been proven even more by the recent announcement of a film adaptation.One look at the aesthetic of Cyberpunk 2077 tells you it’s firmly rooted in the lineage of the genre birthed by William Gibson all those years ago. | CD ProjektVariety last week revealed that a Cyberpunk 2077 film was in the works over at Paramount. As of right now there is no director or screenwriter attached to the project, but it is being produced in part by CD Projekt Red themselves, as well as Lorenzo di Bonaventura, one of the producers behind the live-action Transformers film franchise (as well as the man who secured the rights to Harry Potter for W.B. and guiding The Matrix towards production).Cyberpunk 2077 takes place in a dystopian vision of the United States, particularly situated in Night City — an independent mega-city in California governed not by federal or state governments, but by warring megacorporations who are totally ineffective at stemming the chaos brought on by rampant crime, severe income inequality, and a growing civilian addiction to cybernetic body modification. The game revolves around the player character V (who doesn’t have a canon gender and can be played as male or female), a mercenary with cybernetic enhancements and a checkered past of their own, after a heist-gone-wrong leaves them implanted with a biochip containing the consciousness of rock musician and domestic terrorist Johnny Silverhand. Johnny’s consciousness slowly begins to assimilate V’s own, forcing the two of them to work together in order to reverse their predicament, and in the process overthrow the corrupt Arasaka Corporation.Who else could bring a character as effortlessly cool as Johnny to life? | CD ProjektCyberpunk 2077 already has a deeply cinematic narrative as its beating heart, but it also has another very crucial connection to Hollywood — Johnny Silverhand is played by Keanu Reeves, an actor who is no stranger to the cyberpunk genre, having starred in both The Matrix and the underseen Johnny Mnemonic. While there’s no official confirmation yet that the film will follow the story of the games, if it does it would make perfect sense for Keanu to return for the role in live-action. It’s also interesting to think that a film adaptation, if it does stick to the game’s plot, will for the first time canonize V’s gender (an intentional piece of canon ambiguity fans find freeing).Cyberpunk 2077 has undergone a long journey to its current place as a well-regarded work of cyberpunk within its original medium, but a great adaptation of the game can skip the controversy that initially came with it and just deliver a bleak and thrillingly creative vision of America’s potential dystopian future when it finally arrives in theaters.