The long-gestating Gran Turismo movie is getting back on track with the addition of David Harbour (Stranger Things, Black Widow) to its cast. The Hollywood Reporter has uncovered that Harbour has boarded the cast of the Gran Turismo film that is currently in development with director Neill Blomkamp (District 9, Elysium). Inspired by the video game of the same name, the project comes from Sony Pictures and PlayStation Productions.
Though based on Gran Turismo, the film is not so much a racing movie. It is also inspired by the true story of the "ultimate wish-fulfillment tale of a teenage Gran Turismo player whose gaming skills won a series of Nissan competitions to become an actual professional race car driver." Harbour will be featured in a main role as a retired racer who mentors the Gran Turismo fan.
As one of PlayStation’s longest standing and most beloved franchises, it’s great to be partnering with Columbia Pictures again to bring Gran Turismo to life in an exciting way,” producer Asil Qizilbash said in a statement. “We can’t wait for audiences to see Neill’s vision of this inspiring true story of gamer turned professional race car driver.”
Qizilbash is producing the film with Carter Swan of PlayStation Productions, as well as Doug Belgrad and Dana Brunetti. Gran Turismo creator Kazunori Yamauchi is executive producing with screenwriter Jason Hall (American Sniper), who penned the script with Zach Baylin (King Richard).
Harbour is perhaps best known for his role as Hopper in Stranger Things. He will reprise that role for likely the final time in the fifth and final season of the Netflix show. The actor is also set to return as Red Guardian in the upcoming Marvel movie Thunderbolts after first appearing in 2021's Black Widow. A first look at Harbour as a grizzled Santa Claus was also just unveiled in the new poster for the upcoming movie Violent Night.
Gran Turismo Remains Popular With Fans
The Gran Turismo video game series kicked off with the original installment in 1997, having since sold more than 85 million games on every PlayStation console up to the PS5. The racing simulation games continue to be very popular with gamers to this day, as Gran Turismo 7 was released for the PS4 and PS5 back in March.
There have been some false starts in the past with getting a Gran Turismo movie off the ground. At one point, it was reported that Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski was eyed by Sony to helm the adaptation. While that version of the project didn't materialize, word of Neill Blomkamp teaming up with Sony to take on the film broke earlier this year. The casting of David Harbour seems to suggest that the gears are actually turning on the project this time around.
Gran Turismo will be released in movie theaters on Aug. 11, 2023.