The collaboration was first detailed in a report by Deadline, which highlighted Paramount’s involvement in bringing the beloved sci-fi role-playing game franchise into the realm of live-action cinema. Di Bonaventura, whose extensive producing credits include numerous entries in the Transformers franchise, a pair of G.I. Joe films, and the 2005 adaptation of the video game Doom starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, will bring his considerable experience in large-scale action blockbusters to the production.
CD Projekt Red co-CEO Michał Nowakowski quickly took to social media to confirm the partnership, expressing enthusiasm for the studio’s alignment with Paramount. In a statement shared on X, Nowakowski noted that the company is thrilled about Paramount as a future partner that shares their creative ambitions for the Cyberpunk franchise. He added that the team looks forward to sharing more details regarding the project at the appropriate time.
While specific details regarding the plot, casting, and release timeline remain under wraps, the announcement marks a significant expansion of the Cyberpunk intellectual property into mainstream Hollywood filmmaking. The video game, which launched to immense commercial success and later saw a major resurgence following extensive updates and the acclaimed Phantom Liberty expansion, has already proven its viability outside of interactive gaming. Its previous crossover into television via the critically praised Netflix animated series Cyberpunk: Edgerunners demonstrated the franchise’s potential to resonate deeply with audiences across different media formats.
The impending live-action film also invites a retrospective look at the cinematic history of the cyberpunk genre, particularly properties sharing thematic ties with Keanu Reeves, who famously brought the rockerboy Johnny Silverhand to life in CD Projekt Red’s game. Long before Reeves inhabited the digital streets of Night City, he starred in the 1995 cult classic Johnny Mnemonic, a film based on a short story by legendary cyberpunk author William Gibson.
Directed by Robert Longo, Johnny Mnemonic is set in the then-futuristic year of 2021. Reeves portrays a "mnemonic courier"—a specialized data smuggler who utilizes a cybernetic storage implant in his brain to transport sensitive corporate information across an insecure, highly digitized world plagued by corruption, corporate greed, and criminal syndicates. In the film, Johnny accepts a high-stakes, high-capacity delivery job that far exceeds his normal neurological limits, setting off a chaotic cross-country flight for survival.
The production featured a notably eclectic and memorable cast, including Dolph Lundgren, Ice-T, Takeshi Kaneshiro, and Henry Rollins, alongside Reeves. Although the film received a mixed critical reception upon its theatrical release, it managed to turn a profit and has since achieved enduring cult status among fans of 1990s science fiction cinema. Its bizarre blend of high-concept data espionage, Yakuza pursuits, cybernetic enhancements, and even a pivotal role played by an intelligent marine mammal cemented its unique place in pop culture history.
For fans looking to revisit the roots of cinematic cyber-thrillers while awaiting further developments on Paramount and CD Projekt Red’s upcoming live-action project, Johnny Mnemonic remains readily accessible across multiple digital streaming platforms and home video releases, including a notable black-and-white director’s cut. As production on the new Cyberpunk 2077 film moves forward, CD Projekt Red continues to build out its transmedia ambitions, ensuring that the neon-lit, dystopian streets of its signature universe will soon find a new home in Hollywood.
