David Harbour to headline Sony’s ‘Gran Turismo’ film adaptation

Actor David Harbour will star in Sony’s film adaptation of the popular video game Gran Turismo, to be directed by filmmaker Neill Blomkamp.

Sony Pictures and PlayStation Productions, which recently collaborated for Tom Holland-starrer Uncharted, will produce the project that will make its debut in theatres worldwide on August 11, 2023.

Blomkamp, known for movies like District 9, Elysium and Chappie, will direct the film from a screenplay by Jason Hall and Zach Baylin, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

It is based on a true story of a teenage Gran Turismo player who used his gaming talents to win a series of Nissan competitions and go on to become a professional racing car driver, as per the official plotline.

Harbour, best known for his role in the Netflix series Stranger Things and films such as The Equalizer, Black Mass, Extraction and Black Widow, will play a retired driver who teaches the teen to drive.

Gran Turismo will be produced by Asad Qizilbash and Carter Swan of PlayStation Productions, along with Doug Belgrad and Dana Brunetti.

Sony Pictures and PlayStation Productions most recently developed the cinematic version of another popular video game Uncharted. Led by Holland and also starring Mark Wahlberg, the film earned over USD 400 million at the global box office.

Besides Gran Turismo, the two studios are working on the series adaptation of the action-adventure game The Last of Us for premium cable TV network HBO. The show will feature Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey and Gabriel Luna.

A movie version of Ghost of Tsushima with Chad Stahelski as the director is also being developed along with a series take on Twisted Metal, being written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick and set to star Anthony Mackie.