Gran Turismo: The Un-Video Game Movie

How can a movie be based on a video game when the game in question doesn’t have a story? It’s a fair question

- Andrew Beckford

Gran Turismo is a racing simulator game. There’s no quest for a magical relic or a city to save from aliens, so how can it serve as the basis of a major motion picture? The thing is, the Gran Turismo film isn’t a “video game movie” but is instead based on a true story.

In 2006, former Nissan Europe executive Darren Cox—played by Orlando Bloom in the movie—wondered if a player’s skills in Gran Turismo could translate to real life. As Cox was known for, he soon parlayed that theory into a marketing opportunity by creating the GT Academy, a worldwide competition to find the fastest Gran Turismo players. The best would then be pitted against each other in real-life racing challenges as part of a reality show, with the winner getting a contract with a factory-supported Nissan racing team. Sounds like the makings of a Hollywood tale, doesn’t it? Sony Pictures thought the same thing and used the GT Academy as the foundation for the film.