PlayStation Productions has emerged as Sony’s go-to brand for adapting some of its most beloved video games for both television and cinema, following the success of Uncharted in theaters and The Last of Us on HBO Max.
Recently, the Twisted Metal series unveiled its first trailer, hinting at its release date, while the Gran Turismo movie has also released its initial trailer, featuring stars like Orlando Bloom and David Harbour.
Intriguingly, Harbour, best known for his role in Stranger Things, has shared his thoughts on why the film will not be another subpar adaptation of a video game.
David Harbour’s Insight on Video Game Movie Adaptations
In an interview with IGN, alongside the film’s director Neil Blomkamp, Harbour expressed his satisfaction with the approach taken for the Gran Turismo movie.
He acknowledged the unfortunate reputation of video game movies, citing examples like Max Payne, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, and Assassin’s Creed, which failed to thrive as cinematic franchises despite their ambitions.
Harbour believes that the primary reason many video game adaptations falter is that they overlook the crucial aspect of player control.
Fans love video games because they can actively engage with the story and action, whereas films force them to relinquish that control to a director and creative team. In his view, video game enthusiasts prefer to carve out their own narratives rather than have them dictated by others.
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The Secret Sauce for Gran Turismo’s Success
The key distinction for the Gran Turismo movie is that it doesn’t strictly adhere to the video game movie formula. Instead, the film is inspired by “a guy who played video games very intensely, and then he took that video game experience and turned it into, for me, a great sports movie.”
This fresh approach could potentially follow in the footsteps of successful adaptations like Sonic: The Hedgehog or the upcoming Super Mario Bros: The Movie.
The Gran Turismo movie will recount the true story of Jann Mardenborough, a gamer whose exceptional skills in the virtual world earned him entry into a series of Nissan competitions, eventually leading to a career as a professional race car driver.
Audiences can expect to see the rigorous training that professional racers undergo when the film hits theaters in August.
Are Video Games and Movies a Perfect Match? Uncover the answer as we dissect the unique blend of gaming and cinema in our Gran Turismo Deep Dive.
