Video game adaptations have been some of the biggest new movies of 2023, and Gran Turismo looks set to continue that trend, though its release has just been delayed to later in the month.
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 from Polyphony Digital for 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 action, 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.
Gran Turismo release date
Gran Turismo speeds into theaters this summer, though a little later than initially expected.
Previously, the film was set for a wide release on August 11, but Gran Turismo will now hit US theaters on August 25 amidst a slew of scheduling changes put into place by Sony during the ongoing actors and writers' strikes.
Gran Turismo is currently playing in the UK.
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 synopsis reads:
"Gran Turismo is based on the unbelievable true story of a team of unlikely underdogs - a struggling working-class gamer (Archie Madekwe), a failed former racecar driver (David Harbour), and an idealistic motorsport executive (Orlando Bloom). Together, they risk it all to take on the most elite sport in the world.
Gran Turismo is an inspiring, thrilling and action-packed story that proves that nothign is impossible when you're fueled from within."
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.
The official Gran Turismo trailer gave us a clearer idea of what to expect; you can find it later in this article.
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
- Maximilian Mundt
- 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?
A new Gran Turismo trailer arrived on July 20. This one shows off more of Jann's skills behind the wheel, including evading the police on the streets of London with some of his mates and a snapshot of how his racing skills translate to the real track. We also get a taste of the intense training regime he's put through at GT Academy, and a shot of a terrifying crash. Check it out below:
The official Gran Turismo trailer arrived on May 2. In it, we're introduced to Jann's journey, and just how tough it is to make the journey from his bedroom to the racetrack...even if Jack Salter doesn't seem to believe that any of the GT Academy racers really have what it takes. And even after he proves himself to be the best of the recruits, Jann goes on to make new rivals after becoming Team Nissan's newest recruit...
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.
