Apple TV’s Neuromancer Will Outshine Cyberpunk 2077’s Live-Action

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A popular action role-playing game is being turned into a live-action TV show, but Apple TV+’s upcoming series based on a famous cyberpunk novel is expected to generate even more buzz.

Nearly five years ago, a popular sci-fi role-playing game was released and quickly became a hit. Despite some initial technical issues, players and critics generally liked the game, which led to the announcement of a follow-up.

The game’s popularity has opened doors for more games and a TV show, which is currently being made. However, it looks like Apple TV+’s new cyberpunk series will likely be more popular and take attention away from it.

Apple TV’s Neuromancer Will Premiere Before Cyberpunk 2077’s Live Action

News about a live-action adaptation of Cyberpunk 2077 first surfaced in October 2023. CD Projekt Red, the game’s creator, is partnering with Anonymous Content to produce it. This collaboration is exciting because Anonymous Content’s founder, Steve Golin, has a strong track record with critically acclaimed series like Mr. Robot and True Detective.

I’m really excited about the upcoming Cyberpunk 2077 live-action series, but I think Apple TV’s Neuromancer adaptation could really give it a run for its money. Neuromancer is such a landmark sci-fi novel – it basically created the cyberpunk genre as we know it, and it’s a huge influence on everything that followed. It feels like a truly important story to adapt, and I have high hopes for it.

Many popular sci-fi films, including The Matrix, Akira, and Ghost in the Shell, owe a huge debt to William Gibson’s Neuromancer. It’s a remarkably influential book, and that’s why it’s been so difficult – and taken over four decades – to create a successful live-action version.

Apple TV’s upcoming series based on Neuromancer has several things working in its favor. The original author, William Gibson, is actively involved in the show’s creation, which is a great sign. Plus, Apple TV has a strong track record with successful sci-fi shows. And, the series is co-created by Graham Roland, a writer known for popular shows like Fringe, Lost, Prison Break, Almost Human, and Jack Ryan.

Comparing Neuromancer and Cyberpunk 2077 isn’t entirely straightforward, but they have noticeable parallels. The upcoming Apple TV series has an edge, though, as it’s expected to debut in 2026, giving it a head start.

Neuromancer & Cyberpunk 2077 Are Too Similar To Not Be Compared

Mike Pondsmith, the creator of the Cyberpunk 2020 world, has said he actually read William Gibson’s Neuromancer after the original game came out. He credits Walter Jon Williams’ Hardwired and the film Blade Runner as major inspirations for his work. While Neuromancer wasn’t a direct influence on the game itself, it definitely helped define the wider cyberpunk genre that Cyberpunk 2020 is a part of.

Both stories share similar dark, futuristic worlds controlled by powerful, dishonest corporations and advanced technology. The virtual world in Cyberpunk 2077, called “The Net,” is very similar to the “Cyberspace/The Matrix” from Neuromancer. In both, hackers – called “Net-runners” – directly connect to these networks using a process known as “jacking in.”

The concept of “Intrusion Countermeasures Electronics” (ICE), originally appearing in the novel Neuromancer, is also a key part of the world-building in the game Cyberpunk 2077. Even the “Street Samurai” character type in Cyberpunk 2077 draws inspiration from the character Razor Girl in Neuromancer. Given these many connections, the upcoming Apple TV series seems poised to be the biggest competitor to a potential video game adaptation of Neuromancer.

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2025-11-27 17:30