Sony Gives Gran Turismo Fans A High-Octane Sneak Peek At The Live-Action Film Adaptation
We don't know how, but Hollywood recently found a cheat code, and a slew of video game adaptations will be loading up on the big and small screens this year. The crazy thing is that they actually look good. From "The Last of Us," which is days away from its January 15 premiere, to "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" (regardless of it not giving us a full dose of Chris Pratt's Mario just yet), the curse of video game adaptations might just be about to lift. That being said, one of the riskiest entries on the list is "Gran Turismo," the 25-year-old racing franchise getting a live-action iteration with a star-studded cast. Can they really make a story out of it? Well, as a brand-new sneak peek suggests, they're certainly giving it a shot.
Directed by Neill Blomkamp, who rocked our worlds with the likes of "District 9" (which we still hope is getting a sequel), "Elysium," and "Chappie," "Gran Turismo" will tell a story inspired by actual events and every gamer's dream. Archie Madekwe from "See" stars as a teenager who has a knack for the "Gran Turismo" games and becomes so successful that his time in front of the computer screen puts him on the race track for real. Joining him on this wild ride are Orlando Bloom and David Harbour, who are both present in this new preview, which promises precisely what you'd expect: cars ... lots of cars.
Gran Turismo is the true story of an impossible dream ... apparently
As far as teasers go, it might be firing up the engines of fans but perhaps not the engines of those who would mistake "Gran Turismo" for someone's grandmother they had to have over for Christmas. Sprinkled with an array of drone shots following cars around the race track, there's not much in the preview by way of cast performances. Archie Madekwe's Jann can be briefly seen getting all intense with the film's love interest between steely glares behind his driver's helmet. Also, you'll see David Harbour's Jack looking intensely from behind some blinds. Is he looking at one of the billion races we'll see in this film? Does his character have an eternal struggle? Or must he battle against a parking ticket? We really can't say at this point.
Given Neill Blomkamp's history of being able to handle a set piece or two with his initial sci-fi stint, it'll be interesting to see how he takes on driving sequences that are crucial to a film like this. Only a handful of movies focused on racing have raised pulses (even "Fast & Furious" shifted to ridiculous heists eventually), so there's no doubt he's got a job on his hands. Here's hoping he doesn't stall when "Gran Turismo" arrives in theatres on August 11.