Gran Turismo is an American biographical coming-of-age sports-drama film directed by Neill Blomkamp from a screenplay by Jason Hall and Zach Baylin. Produced by Columbia Pictures, PlayStation Productions, Trigger Street Productions, and 2.0 Entertainment, the film is based on the video game series of the same name developed by Polyphony Digital, while based on a true story. The film stars Archie Madekwe as Jann Mardenborough, a teenage Gran Turismo player aspiring to be a race car driver. It also stars David Harbour, Orlando Bloom, Darren Barnet, Geri Halliwell Horner, and Djimon Hounsou.
Development of a film based on Gran Turismo began in 2013, with Michael De Luca and Dana Brunetti producing from a prior screenplay by Alex Tse. In 2015, Joseph Kosinski was set to direct the film, and Jon and Erich Hoeber would write a new screenplay. By 2018, the Kosinski version was no longer moving forward. In May 2022, a new iteration of the Gran Turismo film started development, with Blomkamp eyed to direct. The main cast were confirmed in September, while other cast additions were signed in November. Filming began in Hungary in the same month, and wrapped in December 2022.
Gran Turismo was released on August 11, 2023, by Sony Pictures Releasing. The film received positive reviews from critics, although controversy arose from a scene's depiction of Mardenborough's crash.
Plot[]
The film is about a Gran Turismo player whose gaming skills won a series of Nissan-sponsored video game competitions to become an actual professional race car driver.
Cast[]
- Archie Madekwe as Jann Mardenborough, an aspiring teenage driver
- David Harbour as Jack Salter, Jann's trainer
- Orlando Bloom as Danny Moore, a motorsport marketing executive (based on GT Academy founder Darren Cox)
- Darren Barnet as Matty Davis, a top GT Academy driver threatened by Jann's success
- Djimon Hounsou as Steve Mardenborough, Jann's father
- Geri Halliwell as Lesley Mardenborough, Jann's mother
- Daniel Puig as Jann's brother
- Josha Stradowski as a rival driver
- Thomas Kretschmann
- Maeve Courtier-Lilley
- Richard Cambridge as Felix
- Emelia Hartford
- Pepe Barroso
- Sang Heon Lee
- Max Mundt
- Mariano González
- Harki Bhambra
- Lindsay Pattison
- Théo Christine
- Nikhil Parmar
Production[]
Development[]
In May 2022, it was announced that a film adaptation of Polyphony Digital's Gran Turismo video games was in early development at Sony Pictures and PlayStation Productions. Shortly afterward, Neill Blomkamp was hired to direct a screenplay written by Jason Hall, and Sony set a release date of August 11, 2023. The lead roles were cast in September 2022, with David Harbour as a veteran race car driver who mentors Archie Madekwe as the teenage trainee. Orlando Bloom was cast as a motorsport marketing executive and Darren Barnet as a threatened GT Academy racer. Additional cast additions were announced while filming in November included Djimon Hounsou, Geri Halliwell-Horner, Daniel Puig, Josha Stradowski, Thomas Kretschmann, Maeve Courtier-Lilley, Emelia Hartford, Pepe Barroso, and Sang Heon Lee. Max Mundt, Mariano González, Harki Bhambra, Lindsay Pattison, Théo Christine, and Nikhil Parmar were added to the cast in December 2022.
Filming[]
Filming began in Hungary in November, and wrapped in December 2022, with Jacques Jouffret serving as cinematographer. Jouffret took advantage of the Rialto extention/detachment system of Sony Venice 2 cameras in order to place sensors in tight locations of cars, away from the main camera body.
Release[]
Gran Turismo premiered at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps on July 30, 2023, following the Formula One 2023 Belgium Grand Prix. Gran Turismo released in the United States on August 25 and in in the United Kingdom on August 9.
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