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The American biographical sports action drama titled Gran Turismo was released on July 30, 2023, at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. The film's limited theatrical release began on August 11, and it was widely released on August 25. The film is based on the racing simulation video game series of the same name and narrates the true story of Jann Mardenborough, a teenager who transitioned from gaming to a full-blown professional race car driver.
Gran Turismo managed to earn $17.3 million during its opening weekend. By doing this, it has beaten Barbie's opening weekend collection by a narrow margin. The film stars Archie Madekwe as Jann Mardenborough, David Harbour as Jack Salter, Orlando Bloom as Danny Moore, Darren Barnet as Matty Davis, Geri Halliwell as Lesley Mardenborough, Djimon Hounsou as Steve Mardenborough, and several others.
Gran Turismo director Neill Blomkamp opens up about his F1 racing drama project
The director of the biographical sports action drama film, Neill Blomkamp, is best known for films like District 9, Chappie, and Elysium. The South African native is considered an influential figure in the 21st century era of cinema and was rated highly by both Time and Forbes magazines.
Gran Turismo's opening weekend has been nothing short of fantastic, as it managed to bag $17.3 million.
In a recent interview with JoBlo, Blomkamp was asked about his experience working with Jann Mardenborough, the 1991-born professional racing driver on whom the film is based. Blomkamp appreciated Mardenborough's work and called him a great guy to interact with.
He said,
"It was awesome working with him and to tell his story because you know he’s a really great guy and what he’s done is really exceptional. So I got to know him during prep and then during shooting. He was initially gonna be on set as one of our advisors. Not only for the realism in terms of all of the racing stuff, but obviously more for the personal stuff."
He continued,
"But, what happened was we started realizing – I don’t remember who had the first idea I think it may have been me- where I was saying like we should get him into a car and just let him drive and be a stunt performer somewhere in the pack. And then the stunt department had to certify him. They immediately loved him and said he was excellent."
He ended his statement by saying,
"And then we were also looking for a stunt double for Archie for the driving scenes. So it was this like obvious next step, which was like, why don’t you just play yourself and drive your own car? So it’s pretty meta, but very cool."
Made with a budget of just $60 million, it has to earn at least $120 million to make a healthy profit.
Gran Turismo synopsis
The official synopsis of the film, according to its trailer on YouTube, reads,
"Gran Turismo is based on the unbelievable true story of a team of unlikely underdogs – a struggling working-class gamer, a failed former racecar driver, and an idealistic motorsport executive."
It further states,
"Together, they risk it all to take on the most elite sport in the world. Gran Turismo is an inspiring, thrilling, and action-packed story that proves that nothing is impossible when you’re fueled from within."
The runtime of the movie is 134 minutes. It was written by Jason Hall and Zach Baylin.
Gran Turismo is currently playing in theaters.
