David Harbor has joined the film Gran Turismo. The Stranger Things actor has been tapped by Sony Pictures’ PlayStation Productions unit to play the unknown, retired driver, The Hollywood Reporter reports. Neill Blomkamp — best known for District 9 — directs the live-action adaptation of the best-selling racing simulation game. The Gran Turismo movie script was co-written by Jason Hall (American Sniper) and Zach Belin (King Richard). Sony is planning a theatrical release of the film on August 11, 2023.
While the original Gran Turismo games relied on racing challenges rather than a coherent plot, Sony Pictures will weave an unrelated story that takes influence from a true story. The Hollywood Reporter He describes the adaptation as the ultimate “wish-fulfillment” story of a teenage Gran Turismo player whose gaming skills lead him to win a series of Nissan competitions, eventually joining the league as a professional driver. The newly-cast Harbor will act as a teacher and mentor to the young, aspiring racer.
The Gran Turismo games are revered for their highly detailed visuals and accurate driving physics. So, it’s nice to see Sony bring a unique approach to storytelling while still staying true to the Gran Turismo name. While the studio hasn’t mentioned exactly which real-life driver the premise is inspired by, the story sounds similar Jan Mardenborougha British professional racecar driver began his career by participating in the GT Academy training program, which enlisted students to play simulation games and, over time, progress from virtual to real racing.
“As one of PlayStation’s longest-running and most beloved franchises, it’s great to partner with Columbia Pictures again to bring Gran Turismo to life in an exciting way,” Asad Kizilbash, producer, said in a prepared statement to THR. “We can’t wait for audiences to see Neil’s vision of this inspiring true story of a professional race car driver turned gamer.”
Gran Turismo joins an ever-growing list of PlayStation titles set for screen adaptation, including the likes of Amazon’s God of War series and Netflix’s Horizon Zero Dawn — the latter to be directed by The Umbrella Academy creator Steve Blackman. Last month, HBO also released a teaser for its upcoming The Last of Us TV series, featuring the first look at Nick Offerman’s Bill, sporting a scruffy beard and long, sticky hair.
The PlayStation production unit also plans to produce film adaptations of the zombie-survivor game Days Gone and Gravity Rush, a sci-fi adventure based on a character with gravity-defying superpowers.
Gran Turismo movie is slated to release in theaters on August 11, 2023.
