There have been some great motorsport movies in recent years, and some videogame adaptations which are generally average at best. But you can make up your own mind with the new Gran Turismo film trailer released.
The movie based on the PlayStation racing series will be released in cinemas on August 11th, 2023, and is based on the real story of Jann Mardenborough. The English gamer won the GT Academy competition in 2011, which was set up to provide a route into real motorsport, and Mardenborough went on to compete in GT racing, Le Mans, Formula 3 and more.
Obviously, the story will be dramatised for the big screen. And what makes the Gran Turismo film interesting is that it’s the first big budget production to combine virtual and real world motorsport (we previously featured the more modest release of The Sim Racer at the start of 2023).
You’ve got director Neill Blomkamp (District 9, Elysium and Chappie). There’s a cast including Orlando Bloom, David Harbour, Djimon Hounsou and more, alongside Archie Medekwe playing Mardenborough. And an opportunity to see the fun and excitement of gaming put alongside real motorsport action.
Will it be successful at the box office? And while it’s probably not going to be an Oscar contender for the director and cast (maybe for cinematography), will it be a good, enjoyable film that helps legitimise virtual racing, and encourages more people to give it a try? Hopefully it’ll be better than the 2014 Need for Speed film, which wasted the talents of Aaron Paul, Domic Cooper and Michael Keaton.