Sony has fully invested in its video game adaptations of late. The company has gone balls to the wall in many different places to bring its most iconic PlayStation intellectual properties to life on the big and small screen in the last two years, like last year’s Uncharted with Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg, as well as the new Twisted Metal series at Peacock and two of its most popular games, God of War and Horizon Zero Dawn next in line for the switch to live action. Next for Sony, however, is Gran Turismo, and Collider is excited to partner with Sony Pictures to give you an exclusive look at the film before it opens in theaters next month.
The Gran Turismo series wouldn’t necessarily seem prime for a film adaptaion, as the game itself is a straight racing simulator, known for its stunningly realistic graphics and vast array of vehicles and real locations. However, the series is the company’s highest-selling franchise with over 90 million units sold worldwide, which means it’s ideal for bringing to the masses, and so Sony Pictures has opted to blend the world of online racing with the true story of a teenage Gran Turismo player named Jann Mardenborough.
Mardenborough had a remarkable opportunity that came his way through a competition called the GT Academy. By out-driving his fellow racers, he earned the chance to showcase his gaming skills on the actual racetrack as a driver for Team Nissan. This allowed him to compete in various events around the world and turn his passion into a career. In the movie, Archie Madekwe will portray Mardenborough as he goes through the Academy, achieves his dream, and faces challenges in his personal and romantic life outside of racing. He also has to handle the high risks involved in each race, where even the smallest mistake can end lives in a heartbeat.
Who Else Stars in Gran Turismo?
Madekwe is joined in the film by some big names who will help steer him in the right direction. Harbour will portray his trainer, while Orlando Bloom takes on the role of the Nissan marketing executive who was responsible for bringing him through the GT Academy to the race track. Djimon Hounsou, Daniel Puig and Ginger Spice herself, Geri Halliwell, portray his family waiting anxiously back home.
Initial responses for the film have been positive, and if you’re keen to see the movie, it opens on August 11 in cinemas. Check out the exclusive featurette down below.
