Video game adaptations have been some of the biggest new movies of 2023, and Gran Turismo looks set to continue that trend.
Following on from The Last of Us earlier this year and PlayStation Productions' first movie, Uncharted, Gran Turismo sees the studio turning to the landmark PlayStation racing simulator franchise that has been developed by Polyphony Digital for the inspiration behind its next project.
Gran Turismo is a coming-of-age drama that introduces us to a skilled young GT player called Jann Mardernborough, who wants to make it as a real racing driver. From what we've seen so far, it looks like the Gran Turismo movie is determined to bring us right into the middle of the on-track actions, and could well be one of the most exciting summer blockbusters on the way.
Here's what we know about the Gran Turismo movie right now, including the first footage that was released at the start of the year and the release date.
Gran Turismo release date
Gran Turismo speeds into theaters this summer. The movie is set for a wide release on August 11, hoping to carry the summer blockbuster season over the finish line.
What is Gran Turismo about? Is Gran Turismo based on real life?
Unlike some of the other big video game-inspired titles that have been released recently, Gran Turismo is based on real events. The film's logline reads: "Based on the true story of Jann Mardenborough, the film is the ultimate wish fulfillment tale of a teenage Gran Turismo player whose gaming skills won a series of Nissan competitions to become an actual professional racecar driver".
Jann Mardernborough was the third and youngest person to win the GT Academy competition in 2011. GT Academy was a partnership operated by Nissan, PlayStation and Gran Turismo developers Polyphony Digital that allowed Gran Turismo players the chance to compete for an opportunity to become a bona fide professional racing driver in real life.
You can find a full profile of Mardernborough's racing career (both during GT Academy and beyond) on the Gran Turismo website.
Gran Turismo cast: who stars in the new PlayStation movie?
Midsommar, See and Voyagers star Archie Madekwe leads the Gran Turismo cast as Jann Mardernborough, the aspiring racing driver at the heart of the film.
The film also stars Stranger Things' David Harbour as Jann's racing trainer, Jack Salter, and Orlando Bloom (The Lord of the Rings) as Danny Moore, a motorsports marketer whose character is reportedly based on the founder of GT Academy, Darren Cox.
The biggest surprise from the cast list has to be former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell-Horner playing Jann's mother, Lesley; Djimon Hounsou is playing his father, Steve Mardernborough.
The full cast list looks like this (missing roles will be added as and when they're confirmed):
- Archie Madekwe as Jann Mardernborough
- Djimon Hounsou as Steve Mardernborough
- Geri Halliwell-Horner as Lesley Mardernborough
- David Harbour as Jack Salter
- Orlando Bloom as Danny Moore
- Darren Barnet
- Josha Stradowski
- Emelia Hartford
- Richard Cambridge
- Daniel Puig
- Maeve Courtier-Lilley
- Pepe Barroso
- Sang Heon Lee
- Max Mundt
- Mariano González
- Harki Bhambra
- Lindsay Pattison
- Théo Christine
- Nikhil Parmar
Is there a Gran Turismo trailer?
At the start of 2023, Sony Pictures released a sneak peek at the Gran Turismo movie. Introduced, by the star, it shows some on-track racing action and features members of the main cast hyping the film up something fierce. Check it out below:
Who directed Gran Turismo?
District 9 director Neill Blomkamp is behind the camera for Gran Turismo. Aside from District 9, he's also directed Elysium, Chappie, and the sci-fi horror flick, Demonic.
Blomkamp directs from a screenplay written by Jason Hall, with Doug Belgrad, Dana Brunetti and PlayStation Productions' Asad Qizilbash and Carter Swan serving as producers for the project.
A previous version of the film was reportedly in development as early as 2013, with that film said to be helmed by Top Gun: Maverick and Tron: Legacy director, Joseph Kosinski.
